A Model for Physician Leadership Development and Succession Planning

Leadership Effectiveness in Healthcare Settings: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cross-Sectional and Before-After Studies

To work efficiently in healthcare organizations and optimize resources, team members should agree with their leader's decisions critically. However, nowadays, little evidence is available in the literature. This systematic review and meta-analysis has assessed the effectiveness of leadership interventions in improving healthcare outcomes such as performance and guidelines adherence. Overall, the search strategies retrieved 3,155 records, and 21 of them were included in the meta-analysis. Two databases were used for manuscript research: PubMed and Scopus. On 16th December 2019 the researchers searched for articles published in the English language from 2015 to 2019. Considering the study designs, the pooled leadership effectiveness was 14.0% (95%CI 10.0-18.0%) in before-after studies, whereas the correlation coefficient between leadership interventions and healthcare outcomes was 0.22 (95%CI 0.15-0.28) in the cross-sectional studies. The multi-regression analysis in the cross-sectional studies showed a higher leadership effectiveness in South America (β = 0.56; 95%CI 0.13, 0.99), in private hospitals (β = 0.60; 95%CI 0.14, 1.06), and in medical specialty (β = 0.28; 95%CI 0.02, 0.54). These results encourage the improvement of leadership culture to increase performance and guideline adherence in healthcare settings. To reach this purpose, it would be useful to introduce a leadership curriculum following undergraduate medical courses.

Canadian medical faculty senior leaders: what skills do they need?

PURPOSE

Many academic leaders have little formal leadership training, which can result in challenges to effective leadership, succession planning and burnout. This paper aims to explore the leadership skills needed to be an effective senior academic leader in a Canadian medical faculty.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

An anonymous voluntary survey of needed leadership skills and supports was sent to 60 senior academic leaders at the University of Alberta. This was followed by interviewing a purposive sample, using open-ended questions based on a multimodal needs assessment of senior academic leaders. The authors used an iterative process to analyze the data; anonymized transcripts were coded and categorized separately by two researchers, and themes were created.

FINDINGS

The "ability to influence" was the highest rated needed leadership skill in the survey. The interviewed leaders (n = 12) were unanimous that they felt unprepared at the start of the leadership role. The survey and interviews identified five major themes for leadership skills: Mentoring, Finances, Human Resources, Building Relationships and Protected Time. Networking and leadership courses were identified as major sources of support.

RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS

Although a single site study, the results were similar to another large Canadian medical faculty (University of Toronto, Lieff et al., 2013). While the survey had a 42% response rate (25/60), the survey responses were echoed in the interviews. Although the purposive sample was small, the interviewed leaders were a representative sample of the larger leadership group.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

Academic leaders may benefit from a mentorship team/community of leaders and specific university governance knowledge which may help their ability to influence and advance their strategic initiatives.

What benefits do healthcare organisations receive from leadership and management development programmes? A systematic review of the evidence

Introduction

Leadership and management training/development programmes have gained increasing institutional attention in healthcare organisations, and they have a wide variety of formats and approaches. However, limited evidence exists about effects of these programmes for the organisations that sponsor them. A minority of healthcare systems in the USA measure the impact of these programmes on organisational metrics such as staff turnover or cost savings. This systematic review sought to answer the question, ‘What evidence exists that leadership and/or management development and training programs yield benefits for health care organizations?’ These benefits could include return on investment, improved productivity/cohesion/teaming, or increased use of specific management skills (eg, strategic planning) that would directly benefit the organisation.

Methods

We followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to conduct a systematic review of the relevant literature. We conducted two searches in PubMed and one in ABI/Inform, a business literature database. All articles included for the study were further categorised according to their relevance for answering the research questions, using predefined criteria based on their methodology and reported findings.

Results

Our search included 2462 studies, of which 55 met criteria for inclusion. We identified four potential organisation-level benefits to leadership and management training programmes: benefits to other staff (besides those who participate in the programmes), improved patient safety and satisfaction, tangible benefits from projects that were part of the programme and improved ability/confidence using leadership-related skills by programme participants. However, the research base on this topic is limited.

Conclusion

Although this research identified potential benefits of leadership and management programmes at the organisation level, additional research is needed to make definitive conclusions about their impact.

The Integration of Clinical and Research Training: How and Why MD-PhD Programs Work

For over 60 years, MD-PhD programs have provided integrated clinical and research training to produce graduates primed for physician-scientist careers. Yet the nature of this integrated training is poorly characterized, with no program theory of MD-PhD training to guide program development or evaluation. The authors address this gap by proposing a program theory of integrated MD-PhD training applying constructs from cognitive psychology and medical education. The authors argue that integrated physician-scientist training requires development of at least three elements in trainees: cognitive synergy, sense of self, and professional capacity. First, integrated programs need to foster the cognitive ability to synergize and transfer knowledge between the clinical and research realms. Second, integrated programs need to facilitate development of a unique and emergent identity as a physician-scientist that is more than the sum of the individual roles of physician and scientist. Third, integrated programs should develop core competencies unique to physician-scientists in addition to those required of each independently. The authors describe how programs can promote development of these elements in trainees, summarized in a logic model. Activities and process measures are provided to assist institutions in enhancing integration. Specifically, programs can enact the proposed theory by providing tailored MD-PhD curricula, personal development planning, and a supportive community of practice. It is high time to establish a theory behind integrated MD-PhD training as the basis for designing interventions and evaluations to develop the foundations of physician-scientist expertise.

Leading the Dialysis Unit: Role of the Medical Director

The responsibilities of a dialysis unit medical director are specified in the ESRD Conditions for Coverage and encompass multiple quality, safety, and educational domains. Many of these responsibilities require leadership skills that are neither intuitive nor acquired as part of the medical director's training. An effective medical director is able to shape the culture of the dialysis facility such that patients and staff feel free to communicate their concerns regarding suboptimal processes without fear of retribution, and there is a continuous iterative process of quality improvement and safety, which values input from all stakeholders. This ultimately decreases the use of shortcuts and work-arounds that may compromise patient safety and quality because policies and procedures make it easiest to do the right thing. Fundamental to this leadership by the medical director are communications skills, staff empowerment, allocation of resources, mentoring, team building, and strategic vision. The medical director leads by example and must be present in the dialysis unit for extended periods to send a message of accessibility and commitment. Many dialysis medical directors would benefit from leadership training inside or outside their dialysis corporation.

Healthcare @ The Speed of Thought: A digital world needs successful transformative leaders

In the wake of transformational change powered by the digital era, resultant leadership challenges and strategies essential for successful change, both tactical and cultural, are linked to defined capabilities within the Systems Transformation domain of the LEADS in a Caring Environment framework. Honed from experience, specific softer leadership behaviours supporting system transformation are both described and reinforced. Further, a matrix combining the LEADS framework capabilities with these more specific behaviours is offered as a planning tool that leaders may reflect upon and map out key activities associated with their sponsorship of significant change.

Advancing cancer control in the future through developing leaders

<strong>Background:</strong> Developing leaders is a critically important activity, especially in cancer services that depend on strong advocates for funding or sustained leadership of organisations. Many global think tanks have warned us about a crisis occurring in leadership. This crisis is not related simply to a lack of leaders, but probably secondary to a lack of competencies in leaders. This distinction allows us to ask whether it would be important to develop skills that will improve the quality of leadership in the future. The author postulates that competencies that will change this perception can be taught.<br /><strong>Aim:</strong> To show the distinction between leadership competencies considered important, and a potential mechanism for how organisations can drive succession planning.<br /><strong>Setting:</strong> Every cancer organisation needs leaders.<br /><strong>Methods:</strong> This article argues that the most important ingredient to impact the pace of change will be the ability to develop and sustain strong leadership. By reviewing current literature it describes what leadership is, and the competencies required to succeed at this. The experience gained by implementing a development unit in Calgary is used to suggest strategies needed by other cancer organisations.<br /><strong>Results:</strong> Leadership competencies can be taught. The local development unit has demonstrated that a formative approach can be implemented to engage emerging, mid-career and senior leaders. The article suggests practical strategies that will facilitate development of strong academic leaders.<br /><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Unless leaders are developed, it is quite possible that the momentum for healthy growth of cancer services will be stalled.

In their own words: describing Canadian physician leadership

Purpose

This is the first study to compile statistical data to describe the functions and responsibilities of physicians in formal and informal leadership roles in the Canadian health system. This mixed-methods research study offers baseline data relative to this purpose, and also describes physician leaders’ views on fundamental aspects of their leadership responsibility.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey with both quantitative and qualitative fields yielded 689 valid responses from physician leaders. Data from the survey were utilized in the development of a semi-structured interview guide; 15 physician leaders were interviewed.

Findings

A profile of Canadian physician leadership has been compiled, including demographics; an outline of roles, responsibilities, time commitments and related compensation; and personal factors that support, engage and deter physicians when considering taking on leadership roles. The role of health-care organizations in encouraging and supporting physician leadership is explicated.

Practical implications

The baseline data on Canadian physician leaders create the opportunity to determine potential steps for improving the state of physician leadership in Canada; and health-care organizations are provided with a wealth of information on how to encourage and support physician leaders. Using the data as a benchmark, comparisons can also be made with physician leadership as practiced in other nations.

Originality/value

There are no other research studies available that provide the depth and breadth of detail on Canadian physician leadership, and the embedded recommendations to health-care organizations are informed by this in-depth knowledge.

Health reform in Canada: Enabling perspectives for health leadership

Canadian healthcare leaders are experiencing unprecedented change. In Canada and worldwide, efforts are being made to create patient-centred service delivery models. In order to participate fully in that transformation, leaders must embrace the new leadership responsibilities vital to patient-centred change. To fail to do so will marginalize their role or render them irrelevant. This article reviews literature in the past 5 years to outline the change context for leaders and what they can do to enhance their effectiveness. Leaders are encouraged to redouble their efforts to develop their leadership capacity, engage physicians as partners, embrace complexity, engage the patient and public in reform efforts, and embrace appropriate technological trends within the consumer community. To reinvent leadership supportive of patient-centred change, healthcare leaders need to act individually to grow their own capacity and collectively to take control of the leadership needed in order to fulfill their role in change.