Strengthening healthcare providers' leadership capabilities, interprofessional collaboration, and systems thinking: a conceptualization of the Clinical Scholars program impact

Tara Carr; Scott Rosas; Cheryl Noble; Michelle Song; Claudia S P Fernandez; Kathleen Brandert; Kathy Donnald; Giselle Corbie; Gaurav Dave

doi:10.1186/s12909-024-06240-1

Strengthening healthcare providers' leadership capabilities, interprofessional collaboration, and systems thinking: a conceptualization of the Clinical Scholars program impact

BMC Med Educ. 2024 Nov 7;24(1):1277. doi: 10.1186/s12909-024-06240-1.

Authors

Tara Carr^{1

2}, Scott Rosas³, Cheryl Noble⁴, Michelle Song^{4

5}, Claudia S P Fernandez⁶, Kathleen Brandert⁷, Kathy Donnald⁶, Giselle Corbie^{5

8}, Gaurav Dave^{4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Abacus Evaluation, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. [email protected].
² Center for Health Equity Research, Department of Social Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. [email protected].
³ Concept Systems Incorporated (CSI), Ithaca, NY, USA.
⁴ Abacus Evaluation, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
⁵ Center for Health Equity Research, Department of Social Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
⁶ Department of Maternal and Child Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
⁷ Department of Health Promotion, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
⁸ Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.

Abstract

Background: Healthcare provider leadership programs represent an intervention opportunity to support advancement of the national system of care and an evaluation of their program impacts is needed. Between 2016 and 2023, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) funded Clinical Scholars (CS), a three-year equity-centered leadership training program for US healthcare providers. CS recruited participants (referred to as Fellows) in cohorts and engaged them as members of interprofessional teams to transform their careers and the health of their communities. The aim of this study was to evaluate Fellows' perspectives on the success of CS, specifically the program elements and their importance for community well-being and sustainability.

Methods: We used the mixed methods group concept mapping (GCM) approach to evaluate Fellows' perspectives on program success. First, we conducted the qualitative phases of brainstorming, sorting, and rating with Fellows. Secondly, we conducted the quantitative phases using multi-dimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis and integrated the sorting and rating information from each Fellow to develop a series of concept maps. Finally, we conducted the interpretation phase to synthesize findings. Fellows (N = 177) across five cohorts were invited to participate in the study.

Results: Fifty-seven Fellows (32%) completed one or more GCM phases. A conceptual map emerged, consisting of seven thematic clusters, which showed that program value could be attributed to the following elements: "Resources", "Wicked Problem Impact Project (WPIP) Support", "Curriculum", "Thinking Bigger", "Leadership Training", "Networking", and "Teamwork." The pattern match showed that all seven clusters were highly rated by Fellows across the Community Well-being Impact and Sustainability domains.

Conclusion: Study findings support the value of the RWJF-CS program strategy of long-term investment in the development of healthcare leaders with applied skills in interprofessional collaboration who will be prepared to continue addressing complex, multi-faceted challenges in the system of care.

Keywords: Clinical scholars; Concept mapping; Equity; Healthcare; Interprofessional collaboration; Leadership; Systems.

MeSH terms

Cooperative Behavior*
Fellowships and Scholarships
Female
Health Personnel* / education
Humans
Interprofessional Relations*
Leadership*
Male
Program Evaluation
Systems Analysis
United States