Does task shifting yield cost savings and improve efficiency for health systems? A systematic review of evidence from low-income and middle-income countries

by Gabriel Seidman and Rifat Atun
Human Resources for Health, 2017 15:29 – Published: 13 April 2017

13 pp. 589 kB
https://human-resources-health.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s12960-017-
0200-9?site=human-resources-health.biomedcentral.com

Task shifting has become an increasingly popular way to increase access to health services, especially in low-resource settings. The authors conclude that task shifting presents a viable option for health system cost savings in LMICs. Going forward, program planners should carefully consider whether task shifting can improve population health and health systems efficiency in their countries, and researchers should investigate whether task shifting can also achieve cost savings for activities related to emerging global health priorities and health systems strengthening activities such as supply chain management or monitoring and evaluation.