Healthcare and Leadership Competencies, Training Methods, and Venues

Abstract

Healthcare systems and health organizations are amongst the most complex and ever-changing human and social enterprises. All countries in the world are involved in various phases of health reforms to expand access, improve quality, and/or control costs. The choice of which structures to use for public and private healthcare initiatives, including Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), is influenced by economic factors. A high level of professionalization is needed throughout the different levels of these multidisciplinary establishments to ensure effective management. In some healthcare delivery models, increased attention has been given to the significance of quality assurance in higher education and professional leadership development of clinician and healthcare managers’ teams. The International Hospital Federation (IHF) has been involved in efforts to characterize healthcare management competencies and create tools to ensure that healthcare managers and organizations can be more aware of their strengths and aspects needing improvement. We provide an overview of the IHF competencies as well as what training methods and venues are available to help promote professional development of healthcare managers.