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Online platforms can support health and educational professionals in their daily work; however, it is challenging to keep online platforms sustainable. This paper aims to indicate the most important factors of platform sustainability from the perspective of professionals involved in online platforms. Further, it aims to understand how these factors operate. A mixed methods study was carried out among professionals from Europe, Australia, the USA and Canada. In the first phase, the importance of 54 factors from the literature was assessed with a questionnaire among 17 professionals. The relative importance of the factors and the consensus regarding this importance were calculated using median scores and interquartile deviations. In total, 19 factors were selected representing general characteristics, characteristics related to the platform, communication, visitor and context. In the second phase, insight was gained regarding the experiences with those factors through 12 individual Skype interviews. The most frequently mentioned important factors of platform sustainability were (i) having sufficient time, resources and expertise, (ii) user friendliness and (iii) creating a sense of belonging. Platforms should use a planned approach to address a combination of factors directly from platform development. Gaining long-term resources is challenging and should be considered from the start of a project by building partnerships. To promote user friendliness, platforms should be simple, have a clear set-up and provide high-quality tools. Finally, establishing a sense of belonging could be supported by branding and face-to-face networking activities. For all aspects, involving visitors and stakeholders is essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The World Health Organization identified health to be the most important social goal and the 1978 Declaration of Alma Ata placed primary health care central to its attainment and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the template. The Astana Declaration called on a change of focus in primary care, from treatment of specific diseases to the prevention and inclusion of both scientific and traditional knowledge. Such objectives require public–private partnerships in providing health care, including traditional and complementary medicine systems such as naturopathy that align. However, there is limited understanding of global regulatory frameworks and officially recognized training for naturopathy. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study employs an adapted mixed-methods explanatory framework to examine naturopathy regulation and education. Analysis merges data arising from a descriptive policy analysis of regulation from 36 countries and survey analysis from 65 naturopathic organizations from 29 countries. Results: Four types of workforce regulation were identified within 107 countries where naturopathy was practiced—statutory registration or occupational licensing, coregulation, negative licensing, and voluntary certification. No form of naturopathic regulation was most common. Higher graduate/postgraduate education and access to a broader range of practices were more frequently reported in countries where naturopathy is statutory regulated. Government audits were more frequently reported where naturopathy was statutory regulated or coregulated. Discussion: Naturopathic philosophy and practice align with primary health care goals outlined in the Declaration of Astana. The naturopathic workforce represents an untapped health care resource with a demonstrated track record of translating these aspirational goals into practice. However, naturopathy remains inconsistently regulated globally, serving as a significant barrier to partnering with other health system actors to attain the health-related SDGs. Workforce regulation for the naturopathic profession offers increased standards, reduced risks, integrative health workforce planning, and assistance to countries toward achieving the promise of the Declaration of Astana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]