WISH: GLOBAL SURVEY FINDS US HEALTH SYSTEM MOST IMPACTED BY WORKER SHORTAGES

69 percent of US healthcare practitioners in survey by WISH say lack of skilled workers is biggest threat to national health system in event of new pandemic 

DOHA, Qatar, Sept. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Increasing pressure on existing resources has negatively impacted the ability of the US health system to respond to another large-scale health emergency, a study has found, with 69 percent of health and care workers in the US agreeing that talent shortages pose the biggest threat to their national health system if another pandemic were to follow COVID-19 in the next five years, according to research by YouGov, on behalf of the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH).

These findings show that the US health system lags behind others globally and is more vulnerable in this area compared to other countries, with a lack of staff being a much less of a concern for peers in Brazil (37 percent), Saudi Arabia (36 percent) and Nigeria (28 percent).

In addition, staff leaving during the pandemic was also seen to be the highest in the US, with a quarter stating that resignations had been more common, compared with the UK (17 percent), Saudi Arabia (9 percent), Nigeria (8 percent), Brazil (7 percent) and India (4 percent).

Yet nearly half (47 percent) of healthcare practitioners in the US said that their workload had been higher throughout this period, along with 39 percent stating that their colleagues have been under more pressure. Looking forward, 57 percent of healthcare workers in the US said that a pressure on resources will continue to be a major trend in the healthcare sector over the next five years.

"As the country most severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, with a loss of over one million lives, the US has borne the brunt of the chaos that health emergencies of such magnitude can cause when internal systems are simply not strong enough to weather shocks. As these findings have shown, visible deficiencies in the US health system, specifically regarding staff shortages, necessitate urgent action from and collaboration between governments, policymakers, and leaders within the healthcare industry to invest more in public health. This is not only critical to the wellbeing of the country's population but also equally important for the welfare of those at the frontline of care delivery," said Sultana Afdhal, CEO of WISH.

The global survey, which included healthcare professionals from the UK, US, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, India, and Brazil, aimed to gauge the impact of dealing with COVID-19 on healthcare workers' lives, as well as explore what they foresee as the future of healthcare.

WISH, a health initiative of Qatar Foundation, is a global platform which gathers healthcare experts, policymakers, and innovators to unite in the goal of building a healthier world. The biennial WISH Summit, taking place October 4 – 6 in Doha, Qatar and virtually, aims to showcase WISH's evidence-based research and discuss how to translate these findings into practical, policy-driven solutions that help transform global healthcare delivery.

The sixth edition of the summit will run under the banner of "Healing the Future." The summit will thoroughly explore the legacy of COVID-19 from various perspectives, including how to build more resilient and sustainable healthcare systems, improve our response to the mental health crisis faced by health and care workers, and harness the rapid progress in pharmaceutical innovation that has taken place during the pandemic.

For more information on WISH, visit www.wish.org.qa.

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SOURCE WISH