Identification and Prioritization of Required Managerial Competencies for Healthcare Management Graduates in Iran Health System

Abstract

Background. Students and graduates in the field of health management will be future managers of the health field. Improving the skills of health system managers as one of the main pillars of health service organizations is essential to meet the health needs of the community. Therefore, this study aimed to identify and prioritize the key skills required by healthcare management graduates as future managers of the health system. Methods. This study was performed in three steps using the method of content analysis, Delphi, and factor analysis. In the first step, a semi-structured and interactive in-depth interview was used to determine the skills required for managerial jobs in the health system, and the data were analyzed based on the content analysis method. The sample size was 14 health experts. In the second step, a Delphi study was designed to build consensus on skills. The participants scored 44 skills extracted from the interviews through a three-point Likert scale from disagree to agree (from 1 to 3), then the skills were divided into several component groups through factor analysis. Results. In this study, 44 key skills needed by managers and graduated students in the field of health service management were identified in 10 components. Conclusion. Costs and resources allocated to the training of health service management graduated students should be based on the need of the labor market and workspace.