Training hospital managers for strategic planning and management: a prospective study

Abstract

BackgroundTraining is the systematic acquisition of skills, rules, concepts, or attitudes and is one of the most important components in any organization’s strategy. There is increasing demand for formal and informal training programs especially for physicians in leadership positions. This study determined the learning outcomes after a specific training program for hospital management teams.MethodsThe study was conducted during 2006 and 2007 at the Centre School of Public Health and Management, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade and included 107 participants involved in the management in 20 Serbian general hospitals. The management teams were multidisciplinary, consisting of five members on average: the director of the general hospital, the deputy directors, the head nurse, and the chiefs of support services. The managers attended a training program, which comprised four modules addressing specific topics. Three reviewers independently evaluated the level of management skills at the beginning and 12 months after the training program. Principal component analysis and subsequent stepwise multiple linear regression analysis were performed to determine predictors of learning outcomes.ResultsThe quality of the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analyses performed by the trainees improved with differences between 0.35 and 0.49 on a Likert scale (p < 0.001). Principal component analysis explained 81% of the variance affecting their quality of strategic planning. Following the training program, the external environment, strategic positioning, and quality of care were predictors of learning outcomes. The four regression models used showed that the training program had positive effects (p < 0.001) on the ability to formulate a Strategic Plan comprising the hospital mission, vision, strategic objectives, and action plan.ConclusionThis study provided evidence that training for strategic planning and management enhanced the strategic decision-making of hospital management teams, which is a requirement for hospitals in an increasingly competitive, complex and challenging context. For the first time, half of state general hospitals involved in team training have formulated the development of an official strategic plan. The positive effects of the formal training program justify additional investment in future education and training.

Managers Acknowledge and Attitude of Educational Hospitals of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences toward Strategic Planning, 2016

“…Another study carried out in Belgrade in 2007, showed that teaching strategic planning to hospital managers has a considerable impact on their ability to fulfill the mission, goals and vision of the hospital, [5] and the present study showed a significant difference between the mean awareness and attitude scores of individuals who had passed in-service training in strategic planning and those who had not.…”

“…The increasing development of private and public hospitals and the improvement in their services and the ever-increasing advances in medical technology have put hospitals in a special competitive environment [1]. In this regard, managers and leaders in hospitals should deal with these changes by being farsighted, anticipating and analyzing environment changes, being flexible in making decisions about environment changes, and formulating the appropriate path to achieve the goals of the organization [2,3,4,5,6].…”

“…As for the importance of hospital managers' awareness of strategic plan, in a study conducted in Serbia, the importance of strategic planning, teaching it, and the implementation of strategic management for hospitals in a competitive context was further emphasized [5]. In a study by Abedini et al titled "Awareness and attitude of the Iranian Medical Science University managers towards development and application of strategic planning" in 2003, the context and environment was not evaluated suitable and ripe for the implementation of the strategic planning in Iran University of Medical Sciences; however, the attitude and awareness of managers in designing and applying the strategic plan was concluded as adequate and acceptable [16].…”

Hospital Managers Skills Required and Onward Challenges: A Qualitative Study

“…Amini et al conclude that the state of the systemic thinking factor among the majority of managers in the Medical University of Tehran is at a desired level and these managers abide by systemic thinking [32]. Terzic-Supic realized that teaching strategic planning and management plays an effective role in the optimal decision making of hospital managers [33]. and outside the organization [34].…”

Aplicabilidade do Planejamento Estratégico em Hospitais Universitários Federais

“…É o que demonstra um estudo realizado em cento e sete hospitais públicos sérvios ligados a universidades públicas, que concluiu que, após um ano de capacitação dos líderes e administradores, o desempenho em relação à análise do ambiente externo e à administração de recursos financeiros apontou uma melhora significativa. A preocupação em fornecer qualidade na assistência foi um ponto frisado pela maioria dos hospitais, principalmente daqueles que reelaboraram sua missão e visão (Terzic-Supic et al, 2015). No foco de redução de custos na gestão hospitalar foi incluída a qualidade dos serviços ofertados à população (Vagnoni & Oppi, 2015).…”