Identifying Ways to Cope with the Manpower Crisis in a Medical Specialty – A Case Study: General Surgery

In Israel, as elsewhere, a number of clinical specialties have for some time suffered from a manpower-related crisis. In a previous study, Medical Specialties in Crisis: An Exploratory Study (Nirel et al., 2008), criteria were developed for a “medical specialty in crisis” and developed measures to assess the extent of the crisis. We identified the causes of the crisis in two medical specialties, one of which was general surgery and we suggested possible solutions to the crisis based on experience abroad.

The current study sought to further address the question of manpower crisis in general surgery. To this end, we chose the approach of an action study, which focused on finding practical solutions to problems in the organizational context. This type of study demands the involvement of the subjects (in this case, physicians) in identifying the problems and solutions, and formulating an action plan. This study sought to add to the knowledge that had accumulated in the exploratory study, which had searched for ideas among senior figures in the medical establishment in Israel and abroad. In contrast, we now sought to examine how surgeons in the field perceive the problems and possible solutions, and what the successful solutions are in Israeli hospitals. This knowledge is practical, specific to Israel and may contribute considerably to developing a feasible action plan.