The importance of soft skills development in a hard data world: learning from interviews with healthcare leaders.
BMC Med Educ
; 21(1): 147, 2021 Mar 06.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33676503
BACKGROUND: Learning healthcare systems have invested heavily in training primary care staff to provide care using patient-centered medical home models, but less is known about how to effectively lead such teams to deliver high quality care. Research is needed to better understand which healthcare leadership skills are most utilized or in need of development through additional training. METHOD: Semi-structured telephone interviews with healthcare leaders familiar with Patient-Aligned Care Teams (PACT) implementation in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). We interviewed sixteen (N = 16) physician, nursing, and administrative leaders at VA facilities located in the upper Midwestern United States. Content analysis of interviews transcripts using template techniques. RESULTS: Participants described instrumental challenges that they perceived hindered leadership effectiveness, including the supervisory structure; pace of change; complexity of the clinical data infrastructure; an over-reliance on technology for communication; and gaps in available leadership training. Factors perceived as facilitating effective leadership included training in soft skills, face-to-face communication, and opportunities for formal training and mentorship. A cross-cutting theme was the importance of developing "soft skills" for effective PACT leadership. CONCLUSIONS: Although formal leadership training and development were perceived as beneficial, healthcare leaders familiar with PACT implementation in the VA described a mismatch between the skills and knowledge PACT leaders need to succeed and the training available to them. Closing this gap could improve retention of skilled and knowledgeable healthcare leaders, thereby reducing the costs associated with training and leading to improvements in healthcare delivery.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Grupo de Atención al Paciente
/
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
Tipo de estudio:
Prognostic_studies
/
Qualitative_research
Límite:
Humans
País/Región como asunto:
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Revista:
BMC Med Educ
Asunto de la revista:
EDUCACAO
Año:
2021
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos
Pais de publicación:
Reino Unido