Research Trends and Patterns on International Migration of Health Workers (1950–2022)

In the context of globalization and liberalization, the international migration of health workers has gained prominence due to increased cross-border mobility. This migration trend, impacting healthcare systems, has intensified recently, driven by factors like the COVID-19 pandemic and demand in high-income countries. The present study was designed to give an overview on research trends and patterns of scholarly production on this topic. Relevant documents published in Scopus from 1950 to 2022 were extracted and analyzed using bibliometric methods. The search string extracted 708 articles. The Human Resources for Health journal ranked first while the University of Sydney was the leading institution. Authors from the US contributed the most (25.8%), followed by the UK, Canada, and Australia. At the regional level, countries in the WHO South-Eastern Asian region and WHO Eastern Mediterranean region contributed the least. Cross-country research collaboration was limited. The research hotspots that attracted the attention of scholars were nurse and physician migration, policy implications, and impact on developing countries. Emerging research topics were the impact of COVID-19 on migration and identification of push-pull factors. Most frequently mentioned push factors driving health worker migration included economic disparities, unfavorable work conditions, and security concerns. Conversely, the main pull factors encompassed prospects of advanced training, better quality of life, and enhanced practice environments. Future research should focus on global policies and push-pull factors to restore the balance in the ratio of health workforce between high and low- and middle-income countries.