Implementing leading practices in regional-level primary care workforce planning: Lessons learned in Toronto

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Health Workforce Planning
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• Equitable resource distribution and meeting local health needs necessitate robust regional health workforce planning.
• Effective planning requires investment in leading practices for health workforce capacity building.

Purpose of the Study:

• To co-develop and operationalize an integrated workforce planning process for the Toronto region.
• To support evidence-based decision-making for primary care workforce needs in a specific urban context.

Main Methods:

• Development of a planning toolkit integrating stakeholder engagement, environmental scanning, and a quantitative planning model.
• Focus on addressing Toronto-specific challenges like patient mobility, population growth, and physician retirement.

Main Results:

• The process provides estimates of population health needs and workforce capacity.
• The toolkit offers a structured approach to regional workforce planning.

Conclusions:

• Regional health workforce planning is essential for addressing local needs and resource allocation.
• Key challenges and considerations in developing and operationalizing such processes, especially regionally, are identified.