[Trends and perspectives in health personnel research in the Americas].

It is paradoxical that the lion's share (60 to 80%) of the health budgets of the countries is invested in meeting the personnel costs of the system, and yet few studies have been done to assess the production of that personnel. The importance of personnel as a basic constituent of the sector and its presence at all levels of medical care (from physicians to auxiliaries) makes it vitally important to know how it has evolved over time so that trends can be anticipated and policies guided accordingly. This work seeks to fill, at least partly, the information gap on this subject. The method by which the author has chosen to make this evaluation is to examine the published literature on health personnel, inasmuch as the situation is reflected in articles and documents on the subject. He therefore examined the general trends observed in the following specific areas: increase of personnel and medical schools, the upsurge in the international migration of physicians, changes in the pace of personnel production, emphasis on the integration of services and education, etc. After a detailed analysis of the articles in Educación médica y salud and the Index Medicus Latinoamericano classified by subjects, the author concludes that, although much has been written on health personnel, little in-depth research has been done in primary data sources, and what is done is predominantly surveys. Besides, this research is concerned essentially with the curriculum and organization of university instruction, and betrays a great concern with coverage extension and primary care and with the training and use of auxiliary personnel, planning, and continuing education.