Characterization of physicians and nurses in the Buenos Aires province based on the cross-referencing of administrative records of the labor forcé

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: In fragmented health systems, such as Argentina’s, planning human resource allocation is complex. The statistical use of administrative records from various public agencies belonging to different jurisdictions allows for new perspectives on the labor market for physicians and nurses. OBJECTIVE: To characterize physicians and nurses in the province of Buenos Aires (PBA) by cross-referencing administrative record databases. METHODS: A relational database was constructed by integrating tables from the Red Federal de Registros de Profesionales de la Salud (REFEPS) and the Registro Federal de Establecimientos de Salud (REFES). The data was validated and enriched using the National Tax and Social Identification System. RESULTS: Of the 77,865 physicians and 90,759 nurses licensed in PBA in 2020, only 34,907 physicians and 42,109 nurses were on PBA staff, revealing a gap between licensing and labor market integration. Among licensed physicians, 47.5% were women, rising to 52.8% among those under 65 years old. In nursing, 82.8% were women, though this dropped slightly to 81.8% among those under 65. Multi-employment (ME) in nursing reached 13.7% and increased with the level of training, while in medicine, ME reached 36.6%. DISCUSSION: Cross-referencing databases provided greater precision regarding the healthcare labor market and active professionals, which can enhance the design of public policies.