Designing and implementing competency framework for management and leadership of hospitals in Iran

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Hospitals need highly trained and competent managers to be responsible for the develop and implement strategic goals, and service provision. The identification and confirmation of core management competency requirements is a fundamental step toward developing a competent management workforce for sustainable hospital service provision. Purpos: This research aimed at designing and implementing of management and leadership competencies framework in the Iranian hospital. Methods: This is a multi-method design study conducted in at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences from 2018 to 2020. In the first step, in order to identify the competencies required of hospital managers in the world and in Iran, a systematic review study, job description analysis, FGDs, and semi-structured interviews were conducted. In the next step, a Delphi study was conducted with the presence of experts in the field of health management to determine the most important competencies, and finally, the validity and reliability of the study tool were done through a experts panel and a survey. Results: In this study seven core competencies included evidence-informed decision-making; resource management; knowledge of the healthcare environment; personality traits and communication; leadership; change management, and professionalism was identified. A total of 66 behavioural cases were identified for these competencies. In the next step, of 66 behavioural cases, 60 cases agreed upon by experts in the Delphi study. After determining the content validity ratio (CVR) and content validity index (CVI), 58 behavioural items were confirmed for seven competencies. The average CVR of the whole tool was 0.94. Also, Cronbach's alpha coefficient of competencies was between 0.77 and 0.83. Conclusion: Seven core competencies identified and developed as a 58-items tool for hospital managers. This framework can serve as a guide for training needs assessment, formal and informal training of hospital managers, evaluate competencies and select competent managers.