Health worker emigration: the potential threat for the stability of health systems and methods of limitation

Presenter: Krzysztof Krajewski-Siuda, Medical University of Silesia

Abstract

Background: Emigration for work has always been one of the most popular ways of tackling the problem of low incomes and poor standard of living. The highest qualified working groups, such as health professionals are, on the other hand, the most desired workers to be accepted in the highly developed countries, both for the reason of the costs of training of the highly qualified professional, and because of the raising needs for medical services caused by the demographic trends. After the EU expansion in 2004, it became easier for Polish health professionals to look for employment in high-income Member States, since the bureaucratic procedures has been simplified. At the same time, the threat of mass migration of medical doctors in the new member states has become a widely debated issue, due to the threat it may cause for the stability of health systems in those countries. Aim: The aim of the research is to analyse the possible scale of health professionals emigration from Poland in near future, as well as to propose the solutions for the potential mass outflow of medical workers and subsequently the running deficit of professionals in Polish health system. Methods: Research is based on opinion polls among students of the last grades of medical courses on 5 universities in Poland, which gives a group of about 3000 respondents asked about their professional plans and, potentially, steps already taken towards emigration. The additional source of data will be the register of physicians and other medical professionals claiming for documents necessary to take the employment in EU Member States. The register is available in the professional self-government organisations, which are obliged to issue such documents for the claiming individual. The data will be analysed using the sort of statistical prognostic models of simple and multivariate regression. Results and conclusions: The project is in progress. Results and conclusions to be presented during the congress.