ReviewHuman resources for health2022
Use of the WISN method to assess the health workforce requirements for the high-volume clinical biochemical laboratories.
Review in Human resources for health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed.
- Application of the WHO Workload Indicators of Staffing Need (WISN) method to estimate workforce requirements in Italian Local Health Unit Prevention Departments.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- A Workload Indicators of Staffing Need (WISN) based framework and implementation tool for dietitians at South African central and tertiary public hospitals.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Application of the workload indicators of staffing need (WISN) to assess dietetic workforce needs in South African central and tertiary public hospitals.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Analysis and assessment of biomedical scientists' needs for clinical laboratory: activity-based management as an evaluation methodology.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2025Article
- A Delphi consensus study to determine the workload components and activity standards of dietitians in South Africa's central and tertiary public hospitals.Human resources for health · 2024Article
- Workload Assessment of Technical Staff in a Clinical Laboratory in South India.F1000Research · 2024Article
- Staffing and Workload in Primary Care Facilities of Selected Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Communities in the Philippines.Acta medica Philippina · 2024Article
- One size does not fit all: an application of stochastic modeling to estimating primary healthcare needs in Ethiopia at the sub-national level.BMC health services research · 2023Article
- Type of Findings Generated by the Occupational Therapy Workforce Research Worldwide: Scoping Review and Content Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Global experiences in health workforce policy, planning and management using the Workload Indicators of Staffing Need (WISN) method, and way forward.Human resources for health · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundThe clinical laboratory services, as an essential part of health care, require appropriate staff capacity to assure satisfaction and improve outcomes for both patients and clinical staff. This study aimed to apply the Workload Indicators of Staffing Need (WISN) method for estimating required laboratory staff requirements for the high-volume clinical biochemical laboratories.
methodsIn 2019, we applied the WISN method in all 13 laboratories within the Center for Medical Biochemistry of the University Clinical Centre of Serbia (CMB UCCS). A review of annual routinely collected statistics, laboratory processes observations, and structured interviews with lab staff helped identify their health service and additional activities and duration of these activities. The study outcomes were WISN-based staff requirements, WISN ratio and difference, and a recommendation on the new staffing standards for two priority laboratory workers (medical biochemists and medical laboratory technicians).
resultsMedical biochemists' and laboratory technicians' annual available working time in 2019 was 1508 and 1347 working hours, respectively, for the workload of 1,848,889 samples. In general, the staff has four health service, eight support, and 15 additional individual activities. Health service activities per sample can take from 1.2 to 12.6 min. Medical biochemists and medical laboratory technicians spend almost 70% and more than 80% of their available working time, undertaking health service activities. The WISN method revealed laboratory workforce shortages in the CMB (i.e. current 40 medical biochemists and 180 medical laboratory technicians as opposed to required 48 medical biochemists and 206 medical laboratory technicians). Workforce maldistribution regarding the laboratory workload contributes to a moderate-high workload pressure of medical biochemists in five and medical laboratory technicians in nine organizational units.
conclusionsThe WISN method showed mainly a laboratory workforce shortages and workload pressure in the CMB UCCS. WISN is a simple, easy-to-use method that can help decision-makers and policymakers prioritize the recruitment and equitable allocation of laboratory workers, optimize their utilization, and develop normative guidelines in the field of clinical laboratory diagnostics. WISN estimates require periodic reviews.
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