MUNROS

European countries are reforming their health systems to improve health care delivery. One of the ways they are doing this is by changing skill mix within teams delivering health services: extending the roles of existing health professions and introducing new ones.

This project is undertaking a systematic evaluation of the impact of these ‘new professional roles’ on practice, outcomes and costs in a range of different health care settings within European Union and Associate Countries.

It is detailing the nature, scope and contribution of the new professional roles, evaluating their impact on clinical practice and outcomes, and identifying their scope to improve the integration of care. It is conducting economic evaluation to identify the cost effectiveness of the new professional roles, identify optimal models for delivery of health care and the consequences of these for management of human resources and workforce planning.

Study design is cross-sectional and multi-level. A mixed methods approach combines analysis of routinely collected data and primary data generated through interviews and questionnaires to health professionals, managers and patients. Data analysis is employing multi-level modelling techniques.