Language

English

Publication Date

6-30-2026

Journal

BMC Health Services Research

DOI

10.1186/s12913-026-15046-4

PMID

42380987

Abstract

Introduction: Healthcare professionals often implement quality improvement (QI) initiatives but lack training to implement and sustain QI initiatives. Leading Healthcare Improvement (LHI) is a course that combines principles from change management, team science, and leadership effectiveness into an implementation strategy to enable clinicians to lead sustainable change.

Methods: LHI is a 6-session, 4-month interactive training. Learners work on an active QI project throughout the course. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test was conducted to evaluate pre- and post-course changes in learners' self-reported confidence across five QI competencies.

Results: Veterans Healthcare Administration clinicians and fellows completed the LHI pre- (n = 111) and post-course (n = 74) evaluations with 70 responding to both evaluations. The 70 learners self-reported significantly increased confidence after the training in each of the QI competencies: communicating urgency (W = 56, p < 0.001), developing and leading interprofessional teams (W = 48, p < 0.001), creating and communicating project vision (W = 54, p < 0.001), developing strategies to remove barriers (W = 60, p < 0.001), and communicating project impacts to leadership (W = 62, p < 0.001).

Discussion: LHI is an implementation strategy curriculum intended to support healthcare professionals in leading system-level changes. Its emphasis on key partner influence, interprofessional teamwork, and real-time project application may help address gaps in existing training and has the potential to strengthen capacity for sustained healthcare improvement.

Keywords

Change management, Implementation strategy, Interprofessional teams, Leadership training, Quality improvement

Published Open-Access

yes

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