WHAT POLICIES ATTRACT DOCTORS TO WORK IN
WHAT POLICIES ATTRACT DOCTORS TO WORK IN DISADVANTAGED AREAS IN VIETNAM? RESEARCH SUMMARY MAY 2015 Health workforce research theme | Vietnam Title Attracting doctors to Commune Health Stations in the most disadvantaged areas of Vietnam: a discrete choice experiment in six provinces. Researchers Tuan Khuong Anh1, Kate Mandeville2, Duane Blaauw3 Institutions 1 Start date March 2015 Health Strategy and Policy Institute, Vietnam; 2London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK; 3Centre for Health Policy, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. Background The uneven distribution of health workers in Vietnam, and severe shortage of doctors in rural and disadvantaged areas in particular, is a primary concern of the Government and Ministry of Health. Despite efforts to attract and retain doctors to these areas including through financial incentives, the proportion of Commune Health Stations (CHSs) staffed by a doctor has not increased. A better understanding is needed about what types of incentives can attract doctors to work in disadvantaged areas. Purpose of the research The research aims to support the identification of the more effective policy interventions to attract doctors to work at CHSs in the most disadvantaged areas in Vietnam. Specifically, it will evaluate the relative importance of different job characteristics in attracting doctors to work in disadvantaged areas of Vietnam and their stated preferences for policy interventions that may be used to attract them to these posts. The research will also assess the likely effectiveness of current and future government interventions to improve the coverage of doctors in disadvantaged areas. Study methods The study design is a cross-sectional survey of public sector doctors, which will form part of a larger health facility survey being undertaken by HSPI and the World Bank. The survey will consist primarily of a Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE), which is a quantitative method for eliciting preferences. Doctors will be asked to choose between hypothetical job descriptions, made up of varying characteristics. These will include both financial incentives (such as special allowances for working in disadvantaged areas) and non-financial incentives (such as preferential training opportunities). Contact Dr Tuan Khuong Anh, Health Strategy and Policy Institute, 138 Giang Vo Street Hanoi. Email: khuong_tuan@yahoo.com http://resyst.lshtm.ac.uk This research is funded by UKaid from the Department for International Development. However, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the department’s official policies. The Centre for Health Policy Health Policy and Systems Research
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