Impact of a leadership development programme for physicians in India

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of leadership development programme on enhancing leadership competencies of physicians in India. Assessment of leadership competencies of physicians is critical for designing suitable leadership development programmes. The previous studies of authors have revealed significant gaps in leadership competencies among physicians in India. Hence, authors have designed a programme incorporating various facets of health-care leadership and evaluated its impact on improvement of leadership competencies of top- and mid-career level professionals. Design/methodology/approach A six-day offsite residential programme incorporating a three-day component of leadership development was organized, in which 96 physicians participated. A mix of pedagogical approaches was used. A pre- and post-assessment of 30 medical leadership competencies was done using a self-administered questionnaire. Findings Majority of participants (69%) scored their competencies at Level 3 and Level 4 (Average to Good) with a mean score ranging from 3.20 ± 0.85 to 4.12 ± 0.71 in the pre-assessment group. In contrast, in post-assessment, this shifted to Level 4 and Level 5 (Good to Very good) in 72% with mean scores ranging from 3.8 to 4.24. Statistically significant differentiation was noted in pre- and post-assessment mean scores for all 30 competencies. The maximum improvement was noted in Competency 29 “Information management system planning and implementation”, whereas the least improvement was noted in Competency 12 “Holding self and others accountable and responsible for organizational goal attainment”. Originality/value The authors believe that this is the first study from India to assess effectiveness of leadership development programmes on enhancing medical leadership competencies demonstrating positive outcome. The findings of this study can provide a roadmap for designing of future medical leadership development programmes for physicians in India.