Abstract:
BACKGROUND : Contemporary healthcare practitioners require leadership skills for a variety of professional roles related to improved
patient/client outcomes, heightened personal and professional development, as well as strengthened interprofessional collaboration and
teamwork.
OBJECTIVE/AIM : The aim of this study is to systematically catalogue literature on leadership in healthcare practice and education to
highlight the leadership characteristics and skills required by healthcare practitioners for collaborative interprofessional service
delivery and the leadership development strategies found to be effective.
METHODS/DESIGN : A rapid review was conducted. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses
(PRISMA) diagram shows that the 11 databases, yielded 465 records. A total of 147 records were removed during the initial screening
phase. The remaining 318 records were uploaded onto Rayyan, an online collaborative review platform. Following abstract level
screening, a further 236 records were removed with 82 records meeting the eligibility criteria at full text level, of which 42 were
included in the data extraction. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was used for quality appraisal.
RESULTS : Results showed variability in methodologies used, representing various healthcare disciplines with a range in population size
(n = 6 to n = 537). Almost half of the results reported on new programs, with interprofessional collaboration and teamwork being the
most frequently mentioned strategies. The training content, strategies used as well as the length of training varied. There were five
outcomes which showed positive change, namely skills, knowledge, confidence, attitudes, and satisfaction.
CONCLUSION : This rapid review provided an evidence-base, highlighted by qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research,
which presents distinct opportunities for curriculum development by focusing on both content and the methods needed for leadership
programs. Anchoring this evidence-base within a systematic search of the extant literature provides increased precision for curriculum
development.
