Factors influencing effectiveness in postgraduate medical education - a qualitative study of experiences of the responsible clinical consultants.
BACKGROUND
Medical education leaders are important for educational quality in postgraduate medical education. Their work tasks are complex and contain different components. However, factors that are influencing leaders´ effectiveness in completing these tasks are unexplored. Understanding and developing these factors is most likely essential to strengthen postgraduate medical education and to consequently improve the quality in health care delivery. This study explores the experiences of factors that influence effectiveness of clinical consultants responsible for postgraduate medical education at clinical departments. Effectiveness was defined as fulfillment of work tasks.


METHODS
A qualitative study was performed with data gathered through semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 17 consultants responsible for postgraduate medical education. Data was analyzed by qualitative content analysis.


RESULTS
Findings clustered into four themes of factors influencing effectiveness: individual (being an expert, social competence), relational (support and cooperation, communication), attitudinal (shared vision, organizational values, colleagues' attitudes) and structural (organizational characteristics, regulations and guidelines, conditions for the role). The factors were experienced to influence effectiveness in a positive or a negative direction.


CONCLUSIONS
This study shed light on the complex and interrelated factors experienced to have impact on the role of consultant responsible for postgraduate medical education. Viewing the result through the concept of power, the role mainly relies on personal power sources like expert and referent power whereas power connected to the position often are lacking. To increase effectiveness of the role, a differentiated strategy which involves activities at both individual, group and organizational levels is needed.
['Wijk|Hanna|H|http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7209-2894', 'Ponzer|Sari|S|', 'Heikkilä|Kristiina|K|', 'Kihlström|Lars|L|', 'Nordquist|Jonas|J|']
D003253:Consultants D004501:Education, Medical D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing D005180:Faculty, Medical D005260:Female D006801:Humans D007400:Interprofessional Relations D007857:Leadership D008297:Male D008611:Mentors
Effectiveness Postgraduate Medical education Clinical consultant Educational effectiveness Leadership Professional development Qualitative research