PERCEPTIONS OF FACULTY AND HEALTH CARE MANAGERS ABOUT MANAGERIAL SKILLS AND TRAINING NEEDS OF DOCTORS WORKING AS HOUSE OFFICERS IN MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS

Managerial Skills and Training Needs of Doctors

Abstract

Objective: To find out the perceptions of faculty and health care managers about the managerial skills of house officers, areas in which they are deficient and the learning strategies to improve these skills.

Study design: Cross sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in affiliated institutions of Armed Forces Postgraduate Medical Institute Rawalpindi, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad, and Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi, from 15^th December 2014 to 15^th February 2015.

Material and Methods: Questionnaire was used for data collection. It consisted of three sections. It assessed the respondents’ perceptions of house officers’ managerial skills, areas in which they were deficient and learning strategies for these skills. A probability convenience sample of faculty members and health care managers of institutions affiliated to Army Medical College, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi was selected.

Results: A total of 106 health care managers and faculty members were approached, of which 88 responded. Respondents were equally divided among health care managers and faculty members. The following skills of house officers received the lowest ratings by the respondents, ‘Skills of using evidence based guidelines for allocating health care resources’, ‘how to function in their position as a leader’, ‘how the Pakistan healthcare system is organized and financed’. Respondents were unanimous that medical graduates need training in managerial skills and majority (93%) of them preferred lectures as the teaching strategy.

Conclusion: Health care managers and faculty members in Rawalpindi/Islamabad region perceive the managerial skills of house officers as inadequate. They believe that training is required at undergraduate level to improve these competencies.