Better Health Service Accessibility: The Role of On-Demand Health Workers in Addressing the Shortage

The shortage of medical personnel is a problem often faced by hospitals in various parts of the world. The limited number of medical personnel available can affect the quality of health services and increase patient waiting times. However, with the development of technology and innovation in the health sector, a new solution has emerged to overcome this problem, namely, using on-demand health workers. On-demand health workers are professionals who are flexibly available to assist hospitals in dealing with shortages of medical personnel. They can be employed for a certain period or even only when needed. The following are some of the advantages that hospitals and patients can get by using on-demand health workers:

• Flexibility in Scheduling. Hospitals can arrange a more flexible work schedule by using on-demand health workers. They can hire additional medical personnel only when there is a spike in patients or staff shortages. This enables hospitals to efficiently match the number of medical personnel to actual needs, thereby reducing patient waiting time and improving service quality.

• Reducing Permanent Staff Workload. In medical shortages, existing hospital staff can experience a heavy and stressful workload. With on-demand health workers, the workload can be more evenly distributed. Permanent staff can focus on more complex cases or require special attention, while on-demand health workers can handle routine issues or assist with administrative tasks. This can increase job satisfaction and staff well-being and reduce the risk of burnout.

• Faster Provision of Health Services. With on-demand health workers, hospitals can respond more quickly to patient requests. Patients do not have to wait long for the necessary care and treatment. On-demand health workers can be immediately available to provide timely medical services, thereby speeding up the healing process and minimizing the risk of complications.

• Improving Health Service Accessibility. On-demand health workers can assist hospitals in reaching remote or underdeveloped areas that are difficult to come by regular medical personnel. Telemedicine technology allows on-demand health workers to provide remote consultation and care to patients in need. This enables greater accessibility of health services and ensures that everyone can receive quality medical care regardless of geographic location.

In overcoming the shortage of medical personnel, using on-demand health workers is an effective solution. With schedule flexibility, more even distribution of workload, faster service, and increased accessibility of health services, both hospitals and patients can benefit. Facing the challenge of a shortage of medical personnel, utilizing technology and on-demand health workers is a step forward in ensuring optimal quality of health services.