[HOW MANY PHYSICIANS ARE ACTIVELY PRACTICING MEDICINE IN ISRAEL? ON THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN VARIOUS METHODS OF MEASUREMENT].

INTRODUCTION: In 2018, Israel replaced the workforce surveys of the Central Bureau of Statistics with administrative data files, as the source of its reports to the OECD on the number of physicians practicing medicine and their percentage of the population. In the wake of the change, the scope of the medical workforce reported by Israel dropped by approximately 9%-15% in each one of the years from 2012-2015. Furthermore, while according to the previous measurement approach, Israeli figures were consistently equal to or higher than the yearly OECD averages, according to the new method these figures are lower than the averages of other OECD members. Essentially, according to the new data, the number of physicians practicing medicine in Israel straddles the minimum desirable amount recommended in the past by workforce planning committees in Israel. The new data are largely accordant with the feeling of distress and shortage in the medical workforce, which pervades the health system for many years, and simultaneously raise questions as to the reliability of official Israeli data as reported to the OECD - data upon which researchers, policy makers, the media and the public rely. Consequently, it is recommended to consistently improve the measurement and reporting to international organizations and to increase transparency regarding the measurement methods of various indicators in the health field.