A Call for Leadership and Management Competency Development for Directors of Medical Services—Evidence from the Chinese Public Hospital System

Zhanming Liang, Peter Howard, Jian Wang and Min Xu
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Zhanming Liang: School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
Peter Howard: School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
Jian Wang: Centre for Health Management and Policy Research, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
Min Xu: Executive Office, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250033, China

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 18, 1-19

Abstract: Background: A competent medical leadership and management workforce is key to the effectiveness and efficiency of health service provision and to leading and managing the health system reform agenda in China. However, the traditional recruitment and promotion approach of relying on clinical performance and seniority provides limited incentive for competency development and improvement. Methods: A three-component survey including the use of a validated management competency assessment tool was conducted with Directors of Medical Services ( n = 143) and Deputy Directors of Medical Services ( n = 152) from three categories of hospital in Jinan, Shandong Province, China. Results: The survey identified the inadequacy of formal and informal management training received by hospital medical leaders before commencing their management positions and confirms that the low self-perceived competency level across two medical management level and three hospitals was beyond acceptable. The study also indicates that the informal and formal education provided to Chinese medical leaders have not been effective in developing the required management competencies. Conclusions: The study suggests two system level approaches (health and higher education systems) and one organization level approach to formulate overall medical leadership and management workforce development strategies to encourages continuous management competency development and self-improvement among clinical leaders in China.

Keywords: medical directors; health service management; management workforce development; management competency, Chinese hospitals (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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