Leading improvement effectively

Background

Evidence from research supports the common view that the right leader’s actions are important for improving quality and safety. Yet exactly what should different leaders do to achieve improvements in different healthcare services?

Research can provide some answers by using scientific methods to test or build theories using systematic observation. Using other knowledge can reduce the limitations of the research for answering this question. This review presents such knowledge, where research evidence is not available.

Review of research

The review pulls together the best literature for leaders on different improvement methods, quality systems and safety interventions. It focuses on the actions which leaders need to be successful in creating quality systems, and enabling others to use methods to carry out improvements.

It summarises experiential evidence from consultants’ and leaders’ observations where the research evidence to guide leaders is weak.

The literature summarised can motivate leaders to do more if they see that leadership actions can be effective. It can also support them to consider what works elsewhere and to adapt it to their particular situation in order that they can make a real difference to the patients they serve.

Questions considered by the review

• Q1: What is improvement leadership?
• Q2: Can leaders influence improvement?
• Q3: Which individual leader actions and competencies have been found to be associated with successful and unsuccessful improvement?
• Q4: Which concepts, frameworks and models can help guide leaders of improvement?
• Q5: What are the strengths and limitations of research and evidence for helping leaders of improvement?
• Q6: Which improvement leadership research is most needed?
  

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