(170) Leadership and Followership in Health Professions Education: A Systematic Review

Objective : Leadership and followership are critical components of a healthcare team. This investigation reviewed health-professions education literature that examined leadership and followership, as we sought to characterize both within health-professions education.

Methods: Using PubMed, ERIC, and Google Scholar, two investigators independently and systematically searched health-professions education literature for articles related to leadership and followership. Reports were categorized based on the articles by type, application, profession, leadership, and followership qualities.

Results: After search, 81 articles were included (48 theoretical, 22 empirical, 6 commentaries, and 5 letters to the editor). Notably, 96% of theoretical articles discussed an application of leadership and followership (e.g., improving patient care, improving communication, improving organizational efficiency). Of the articles, 54% were related to healthcare with multiple professions, while 46% focused on a specific profession (Nursing (43%), Medicine (16%), Others (22%), Surgery (8%), Pharmacy (6%), Veterinary-Medicine (5%)). The majority (75%) of articles discussed leadership qualities, with top qualities of effective communication, visionary, and delegating tasks. Meanwhile, 57% discussed followership qualities, with top qualities of being responsible, committed, and supportive. Furthermore, some qualities overlapped both leadership and followership; top overlap qualities were effective communication, being supportive, and feedback (providing and receiving). This review was limited by a lack of specific nomenclature related to leadership and followership.

Conclusions: Leadership-Followership was well-described in the health-professions education literature. However, followership did not receive as much attention as leadership. Furthermore, Pharmacy and Veterinary-Medicine have less articles. Both leadership and followership work hand in hand with the two roles being dynamic; an effective leader must know how to be an effective follower and vice versa. To improve healthcare and effective teamwork, education should focus on both leadership and followership.