Effects of decentralisation and health system reform on health workforce and quality-of-care in Indonesia, 1993-2007

Abstract

The impact of decentralisation, socioeconomic changes and healthcare reforms in Indonesia on type and distribution of healthcare providers and quality-of-care has been unclear. We examined workforce trends for healthcare facilities from 1993 to 2007 using the Indonesian Family Life Surveys. Each included a sample of public and private healthcare facilities, used standardised interviews for numbers and composition of staffing, and quality-of-care vignettes. There was an increase in multiprovider facilities and shift in profile of solo providers-increasing proportions of midwives and drop in doctors in rural areas (including facilities with doctors) and nurses in urban areas. Quality-of-care scores were low, particularly for nurses as solo providers. Despite increased numbers of healthcare workers and growth of the private sector, outer Java-Bali and rural areas continued to be disadvantaged in workforce capacity and quality-of-care. The results have implications for accreditation and in-service training requirements, the legal status of nurses and private sector regulation.