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August 16, 2026Human Resources for HealthOpen Access

Applying the Workload Indicators of Staffing Need (WISN) methodology for health workforce planning in Singapore's public polyclinics: a pilot study to support the Healthier SG reform

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Authors

HSHarshini SureshYCYing Xian ChuaYLYii Jen Lew

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Overview

Mixed-methods pilot study reveals primary care physician deficits under preventive health reforms, highlighting the need for workload-based workforce planning.

Key Points

  • To determine optimal family physician staffing requirements under Singapore's Healthier SG primary healthcare reform using the World Health Organization's Workload Indicators of Staffing Need methodology.
  • Conducted a single-site, mixed-methods pilot study at a public primary care clinic in Singapore using 2024 workload data from electronic health records, clinic statistics, and expert consensus.
  • Utilized the World Health Organization's Workload Indicators of Staffing Need software to compute required staffing and the staffing ratio, complemented by in-depth qualitative interviews with 5 family physicians.
  • Identified a requirement of 28 full-time equivalent family physicians versus the current 22, yielding a staffing ratio of 0.79 and a shortfall of 6 full-time equivalents.
  • Calculated a Category Allowance Factor of 1.26 for routine support activities and an Individual Allowance Factor of 2.21 full-time equivalents for additional duties, with reform-specific tasks accounting for 1.5 full-time equivalents.
  • Qualitative interviews revealed severe workload pressures, considerable administrative burdens, and unmeasured teaching and supervisory demands.

Cite This Study

Suresh et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a817a21f2fb91fc834adbc3https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-026-01094-8
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Estimating general practitioner staffing requirements in a regional cardiac emergency center: a WISN-based study in Southeast Iran2026
  2. 2Application of the Workload Indicators of Staffing (WISN) Method for Optimal Staffing at Jimmy Medika Borneo Mother and Child Hospital2025
  3. 3Workload Indicator Staffing Need (WISN) as A Method for Analyzing Clinic Health Personnel Needs in Surakarta2024
  4. 4Estimating the Health Care Providers’ Number Needed in Northwest Health Service Centers of Tehran Based on Workload Index2024
  5. 5Analysis of needs for nurses with the workload indicator staffing needs (WISN) approach to inpatient services in the Konawe islands regional public hospital, southeast Sulawesi Province, Indonesia 20242024