New development: Clinicians in management-past, present, future?

This article will be of value to health policy-makers, care regulators, service leaders and professional bodies who are collectively grappling with how best to ensure that governance structures and procedures are more effective in detecting and responding to the signs of variable care quality. Specifically, it supports and extends a growing body of evidence showing that greater involvement of healthcare professionals in senior management is positively associated with increased care quality and safety. It looks at the recent research supporting these ideas and outlines new directions for future research and practices development. There is growing evidence that greater involvement of healthcare professionals in the governance of care organizations is positively associated with increased care quality and safety. Recent research further suggests that a critical mass of doctors can help senior management in delivering on their governance responsibilities. Prompted by a recent article in Public Money & Management by Kirkpatrick et al. (2023), this article looks at the past, present and future of clinical involvement in healthcare management. As well as locating this growing body of research in wider social science debates, it outlines a number of potential lines for future enquiry.

Automated summary

This article is valuable for health policy-makers, care regulators, service leaders, and professional bodies. It supports and extends the idea that greater involvement of healthcare professionals in senior management is associated with increased care quality and safety. The article explores current research and suggests new directions for future research and practices development.