International strategies for flexibilization of the regulation of health workforce practices in response to the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review

COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020. Given its rapid spread, governments, communities, and health services are having to act with the same speed to expand their health workforce capacity. Based on the scoping review method, this study aimed to identify the principal strategies related to measures for flexibilization of regulations on healthcare workers’ practices that have been adopted and/or recommended internationally. The study followed the stages proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The research question was developed with the PCC method (population, concept, and context). Searches were performed in PubMed, Scopus, WHO Database, and the gray literature. A total of 36 documents were identified, classified in the following strategies: (1) expansion of scope of practice; (2) shifting of roles from one professional category to another; (3) authorization for patient care and billing via telemedicine; (4) licensing and recruitment of inactive workers; (5) recruitment of workers from other regions/states; and (6) changes in basic training and supply of new training. One of the most important strategies in response to health workforce shortages has been the willingness to adapt, expand, and redistribute workers’ activities to deal with rapid changes. This review reflects the importance of reforms in workforce regulation to optimize the existing health workforce so that it can meet the population’s constant needs and demands.

Keywords:
COVID-19; Pandemics; Health Workforce; Professional Competence