Workforce Matters: Defining Labor Input for Better Health Technology Assessment
Author(s)
Mirre Scholte, PhD1, Merel Kimman, PhD2, Sabine E. Grimm, BA, MSc, PhD3, Joost Verbeek, PhD3.
1Radboudumc, Nijmegen, Netherlands, 2MUMC+, Maastricht, Netherlands, 3Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.
1Radboudumc, Nijmegen, Netherlands, 2MUMC+, Maastricht, Netherlands, 3Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.
OBJECTIVES: Healthcare innovations are increasingly being developed to address workforce shortages. However, evaluating the impact of these technologies is complex, and guidelines for measuring labour input are lacking. Our goal is to develop a practical toolkit that healthcare organizations and policymakers can use to assess how innovations impact labour input. As a first step, we aim to define labour input and identify its relevant domains within the context of health technology assessment (HTA).
METHODS: We organised workshops using the World Café method. In this structured approach, participants engage in small groups and visually capture their ideas on large paper sheets. During successive rounds, participants rotate between tables, allowing new insights to build upon previous discussions and encouraging cross-pollination of ideas. Three rounds were conducted: the first to identify domains of labour input, the second to explore measurement instruments, and the third to define labour input itself. Participants were recruited through purposive convenience sampling among potential end users of the envisioned toolkit.
RESULTS: We conducted two World Café workshops with in total 27 participants, including researchers, HTA-experts, nurses, physicians, innovators, innovation advisors, directors and representatives from HR, medical technology and information technology. Findings suggest that benefits in terms of labour input can occur on multiple levels: the individual employee, the organisation and societal. Emerging domains include time spent on tasks, task shifting between professionals or to patients, work satisfaction, workload, labour productivity and staff scarcity. For some domains, already existing measurement instruments were identified.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the need to assess labour-saving innovations at multiple levels and domains. Suitable measurement methods are lacking and must be developed. Further research should explore trade-offs between domains and their interaction with value elements like cost-effectiveness. The end goal is a practical toolkit for healthcare organizations and policymakers.
METHODS: We organised workshops using the World Café method. In this structured approach, participants engage in small groups and visually capture their ideas on large paper sheets. During successive rounds, participants rotate between tables, allowing new insights to build upon previous discussions and encouraging cross-pollination of ideas. Three rounds were conducted: the first to identify domains of labour input, the second to explore measurement instruments, and the third to define labour input itself. Participants were recruited through purposive convenience sampling among potential end users of the envisioned toolkit.
RESULTS: We conducted two World Café workshops with in total 27 participants, including researchers, HTA-experts, nurses, physicians, innovators, innovation advisors, directors and representatives from HR, medical technology and information technology. Findings suggest that benefits in terms of labour input can occur on multiple levels: the individual employee, the organisation and societal. Emerging domains include time spent on tasks, task shifting between professionals or to patients, work satisfaction, workload, labour productivity and staff scarcity. For some domains, already existing measurement instruments were identified.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the need to assess labour-saving innovations at multiple levels and domains. Suitable measurement methods are lacking and must be developed. Further research should explore trade-offs between domains and their interaction with value elements like cost-effectiveness. The end goal is a practical toolkit for healthcare organizations and policymakers.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-11, ISPOR Europe 2025, Glasgow, Scotland
Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S2
Code
MSR226
Topic
Methodological & Statistical Research, Organizational Practices
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas