Health Professional Mobility in the European Union Study

Health professionals have always moved to, from, and within Europe. However, concerns about the scale of movement and its impacts are increasing. New patterns of disease, new technology, and increasing global markets have multiplied pressures on health systems.

The PROMeTHEUS project aimed at understanding the scale, relevance, and directions of health professional mobility, the reasons behind it, and the tools most adequate to respond to it. The project considered the positive and negative impacts of mobility on health systems and mapped international, national, and regional policies and organisational responses. Scientific evidence was used to support policy-relevant recommendations, which included accessible options and implementation of initiatives whether to recruit, integrate, or retain staff.

The project’s outcomes generated advice for stronger, more appropriate human resources policies in Europe where health systems increasingly interact.

Launched in 2009 for a three-year period, the project covered all Member States of the European Union and selected neighbouring countries. PROMeTHEUS concluded in 2011.