Forming leaders to support transformation

Introduction: The implementation of new models of integrated care (IC) requires participative leadership and adequate change management. The professionals involved in health and care delivery services should be the natural leaders. However, usually, clinical leaders are not sufficiently familiar with leadership strategy and clinical governance tools. 

Description of policy context and objective: Castilla- La Mancha Region is moving on new person centred health delivery services. The IC Implementation Plan is the regional strategy to support health and care transformation, defining a roadmap with different programs and actions. An ambitious training program has been designing as an essential part of the Plan. The training program includes specialized courses according to the needs of the key players during implementation of IC units. The program focuses on IC training for health and care professionals, monographic training according to specific demands and workshop with patients and informal carers to ensure co-creation. Additionally, a 150-hours course for IC Clinical Governance Teams (ICCGT) has been designing to form leaders. The objectives of this course are:

1.- Forming change leaders: Understanding leadership roles, being able to recognize the potential or emerging problems and to propose an effective strategy for changing  programs and policies.

2.- Empowering professionals on management and clinical governance

3.- Designing and modeling new IC units or areas

Targeted population: Middle manager, heads of clinical services (doctors and nurses)

Comments on transferability: The methodology and content of the training program could be transferred to other organizations

Highlights (innovation, Impact and outcomes): The innovative methodology includes:

- Recruitment of volunteers

- Two leadership profiles with meso and micro level governance roles (facilitators and directors)

- Collaborative learning: by using interactive tools to support professional participation, commitment and team building

- 80% of teachers have real implementation experience.

- Format: face-to-face and online learning

- Content: participatory leadership and change management; quality management and process reengineering; knowledge management; individual implementation strategy and plan (including impact assessment);

Impacts:

- Official accreditation: impact in the CV

- Regional coverage.

- 50 leaders have already been trained.

- 15 projects have been predesigned.

- 90% of the participants expressed high levels of satisfaction.

- Wait list of interested professionals

Conclusions: The training program is an essential part of the IC Implementation Plan to support education, engagement, capacity and team building. The present educational model is sustainable, efficient and very useful. The majority of the participants reported high level of satisfaction.