E-health and the Universitas 21 organization: 4. Professional portability.

Professional portability is the ease with which health-care professionals can move in person or virtually across barriers, and among and between jurisdictions, to transfer their knowledge, skills and care. As part of the Universitas 21 (U21) project on e-health, professional portability was examined using a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats). The analysis showed that many factors hamper the development of global professional portability; on the other hand, the potential exists to substantially improve access to health care and its quality around the world. The study suggests that professional portability can be advanced in a number of ways. These include exploring policy, technology and medical training. The field of professional portability, while of considerable relevance to health and other professions, is undeveloped and is clearly an area that would benefit from discussion, research and global collaboration.