Healthcare professional education: the perspective of value chain analysis

Abstract

Kieran Walsh

A value chain is a chain of activities that are carried out in order to provide an output of value. A value chain analysis is an analysis of the efficiency of these individual activities and the relationship between them and the effect that they have on the output. This short paper uses the methodology of value chain analysis to evaluate the efficiency of healthcare professional education institutions. Value chain analysis is likely to be able to generate efficiencies in undergraduate medical education in a number of ways – including selection, the provision of e-learning and simulation, transitions between phases of education, procurement, infrastructure, and the supply of doctors that will meet patient and population healthcare needs. When used appropriately value chain analysis is likely to result in both more effective and more efficient healthcare professional education.