[Task sharing - a solution for rich and poor?]

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Surgical Workforce
• Healthcare Delivery

Background:

• A global shortage of surgical and anesthesiologic specialists exists.
• Task sharing to less specialized staff is a strategy to address workforce shortages.
• Associate clinicians and medical officers are key personnel in task sharing models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of global task sharing in surgery and anesthesiology.
• To assess the evidence for patient outcomes associated with task sharing.
• To explore potential lessons for high-income countries.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of task sharing practices and patient outcomes.
• Analysis of task sharing scope in different income settings.
• Case examples of successful task sharing in specific surgical procedures.

Main Results:

• Task sharing to associate clinicians shows good patient outcomes for procedures like hernia repairs, laparotomies, orthopaedic surgeries, and caesarean sections.
• Evidence on the role of medical officers in task sharing is limited.
• Task sharing is widespread globally but varies in scope, being less extensive in high-income countries like Sweden.

Conclusions:

• Task sharing is a viable strategy to mitigate specialist shortages in surgery and anesthesiology.
• High-income countries can learn from global task sharing models, particularly from low- and middle-income countries.
• Further research is required to identify optimal procedures for task sharing and to evaluate the role of medical officers.