Continuing Education Needs of Health Service Executives in Ontario

CONTINUING EDUCATION NEEDS OF HEALTH SERVICE EXECUTIVES IN ONTARIO Laura Jean Kokocinski Doctorate of Education Graduate Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto 2015 ABSTRACT Health care has been receiving increasing attention from provincial and federal governments, the media, and the public since 2000. Health care leaders have received intense scrutiny in the ways in which they are managing their scarce resources and the effectiveness of their organizations in meeting the health care needs of the populations they serve. The education and ongoing training of health care leaders has come into question. There has been little research in Canada or Ontario regarding the continuing education needs of health care leaders. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of certified health service executives in Ontario regarding continuing education, in particular, their perceptions of the factors, barriers, and benefits of continuing education. Similarities and differences in perceptions were assessed based upon the health service executives' educational preparation, role in health care, and the sizes and types of facilities in which they were employed at the time of the study. This explanatory, descriptive study incorporated a sequential, mixed methods design comprising a dominant quantitative approach (2004 mailed questionnaire) followed by a supplemental qualitative approach (2013 telephone interviews). The findings show that 5 key factors affected the health service executives' perceptions of continuing education: personal life path, work structure, career structure, changing practices, and learning needs. The study also found commonalities and differences related to the influence of these factors and their associated demographic variables. Barriers to participation in continuing education included the lack of interesting or relevant course offerings and a lack of money; benefits of participation included improved management skills and increased levels of job satisfaction. The results of this study should be of interest to health service executives, employers, educators of health professionals, education planners, professional colleges and associations, and government ministerial agencies. This study contributes to the theoretical and conceptual knowledge of continuing education for health service executives related to their perceptions of continuing education and the factors that influence their perceptions, a field in which limited research has been conducted.Ed.D