New York Center for Health Workforce Studies, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA.
J Public Health Manag Pract. 2009 Nov;15(6 Suppl):S48-53. doi: 10.1097/PHH.0b013e3181b23978.
This article describes challenges, issues, and strategies associated with public health workforce research. The factors that contribute to workforce supply and demand imbalances are reviewed, and the unique difficulties encountered with studies of public health workers are identified. Two case studies of previous public health workforce research conducted by the New York Center for Health Workforce Studies are used to illustrate how different levels of analyses can be used to better understand recruitment and retention issues of public health workers and to inform programs and policies designed to ensure a well-sized and competent public health workforce. Case study 1, conducted in 2005, assessed supply and demand gaps in state and local health departments in six states and helped estimate the scope of recruitment and retention problems in these agencies. Case study 2, conducted in 2006, provided a detailed examination of the current public health workforce in local health departments in New York. Data drawn from this study were used to identify specific workforce challenges faced by these agencies. Findings from these case studies, conducted at different levels of analyses (multistate vs single state) and using different research methods (qualitative vs quantitative), are reviewed, highlighting differences based on scope and methods. Finally, suggested areas for future studies about the public health workforce are considered.
本文描述了公共卫生劳动力研究相关的挑战、问题和策略。回顾了导致劳动力供需失衡的因素，并确定了研究公共卫生工作者时遇到的独特困难。通过纽约卫生人力研究中心进行的两项公共卫生劳动力研究的案例研究来说明不同层次的分析如何用于更好地理解公共卫生工作者的招聘和留用问题，并为旨在确保规模适当和有能力的公共卫生劳动力的计划和政策提供信息。案例研究 1 于 2005 年进行，评估了六个州的州和地方卫生部门的供需差距，并帮助估计了这些机构在招聘和留用方面的问题的范围。案例研究 2 于 2006 年进行，对纽约地方卫生部门的当前公共卫生劳动力进行了详细考察。这项研究的数据用于确定这些机构面临的具体劳动力挑战。对这两项案例研究的调查结果（基于不同的分析层次（多州与单州）和使用不同的研究方法（定性与定量））进行了回顾，重点根据范围和方法的不同进行了比较。最后，考虑了未来关于公共卫生劳动力的研究领域。
