Leadership development programmes in healthcare research: a systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-aggregation

Area of Science:

• Healthcare research
• Leadership development
• Organizational outcomes

Background:

• Academic institutions value researchers in leadership roles, increasing the importance of leadership development programs.
• No prior evaluation of the evidence base for leadership development programs specifically for healthcare researchers existed.
• This study reviewed existing programs to assess their impact and influencing factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of leadership development programs for healthcare researchers.
• To identify factors influencing the effectiveness of these programs.
• To synthesize evidence on best practices in leadership development for this population.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search across MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO (Jan 2000 - Jan 2023).
• Exploratory meta-analysis and meta-aggregation for results synthesis.
• Quality assessment using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI) and Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Checklist.

Main Results:

• 48 studies met inclusion criteria; 22 were of higher reliability.
• Low study quality often stemmed from design, analysis, and reporting issues.
• Positive outcomes (163/168) were frequently self-assessed; coaching, project work, and mentoring linked to organizational gains.

Conclusions:

• Educational methods, particularly coaching, project work, and mentoring, are crucial for organizational outcomes.
• Internal or mixed faculty delivery may be more effective than external faculty, warranting further study.
• Enhanced evaluation designs are needed to better understand reliable factors for leadership program success.