Citation

Balka E, Messing K, Armstrong P. Pol. Pract. Health Saf. 2006; 4(1): 45-61.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (Great Britain))

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Many projects have been undertaken to ensure that the Canadian health system is efficient, effective and publicly accountable. One common area for such initiatives is general management of the health system, which includes performance indicators for human resources that involve the use of information technology systems. These indicators have not generally included the occupational health of healthcare workers. Research by the authors - specialists in information science, ergonomics and sociology - involving extensive observations of and consultations with workers in healthcare, suggests that the development and application of indicators for healthcare system performance should include and reflect: 1) the full range of work; 2) all categories of workers; 3) patient diversity; 4) the caring aspect of work; 5) the preservation of the health and wellbeing of healthcare workers; 6) the ability of workers to learn from and help each other; 7) the ability of workers to learn from experience; and 8) the long-term public health and public finance consequences of current practices.