The concept of medical and clinical leadership has had plenty of ‘air-time’ in recent years, on both the national and international stage. There is widespread agreement that clinician involvement in healthcare management is advantageous.
Many clinicians ‘fall into’ leadership and management roles later in their careers. Examples of these positions are clinical unit directors and medical directors or chief medical officers. These roles are generally hybrid roles and the majority of clinician managers retain some clinical practice in their job plans.
But how effective are these hybrid clinician managers? And how well prepared for their roles are clinician managers?
Qualitative research in this area would support the concept that most clinician managers fulfil hybrid roles and generally prefer low levels of involvement in ‘true’ management activities. The literature also shows that most clinician managers feel ‘under-prepared’ and ‘poorly qualified’ to perform their duties as managers.
So how do we encourage and foster clinician interest and involvement in management?
A big factor leading to decreased involvement in management may be that clinicians view management as a ‘less challenging’ or ‘less academically rigorous’ field. Clinician managers are therefore often viewed with suspicion and the same prestige is commonly not associated with a management position. The question then becomes how do we overcome these perceptions and beliefs?
Clinicians need to see management as a necessary and prestigious part of the health system. The role of a healthcare manager is challenging, complex and rewarding. Being effective in these roles, in my opinion, requires dedication and more often than not, a full time commitment to the role.
Moreover, clinicians need additional training and a broadened skill set to ensure that they are effective as managers. This would include training in health economics, process and systems improvement, service redesign, health policy and law and very importantly leadership and management.
We also need to support career pathways for those interested in clinical management and encourage our best and brightest to pursue these pathways. Opportunities in this field are increasing through colleges and organisations such as RACMA (Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators) and BAMM (British Association of Medical Managers).
By engaging in management, we have the opportunity to shape policy, service delivery and design, resource allocation and healthcare strategy. Ultimately clinician managers have the ability to make a big difference to the lives of many patients.
