Health practitioner regulation: Design, reform and implementation guidance (WHO, 9 September 2024)

Summary

The regulation of health practitioners is an essential strategy to minimise instances of patient harm in health services by enabling access to practitioners who meet minimum criteria for patient safety. Although the models of regulation vary, regulatory functions include the following: defining and enforcing education standards; defining the minimum levels for competence and conduct of health practitioners; investigating complaints and enforcing discipline; and informing the public about regulated practitioners. Health practitioner regulation also has the potential to advance other health system priorities and objectives, such as workforce availability, equitable distribution and improved performance.

This World Health Organization (WHO) guidance aims to inform the design, reform and implementation of health practitioner regulation and to strengthen regulatory systems and institutions. It highlights the contemporary issues in health practitioner regulation, discusses challenges in implementing regulatory policies and articulates policy considerations for the design, reform and implementation of regulation. Finally, it highlights evidence gaps and identifies a research agenda.