Collective leadership involves distribution of leadership roles and responsibilities across various team members and has been proposed to replace traditional hierarchical leadership structures in healthcare (1-4).
Aims
To determine the relationship between collective leadership and 1) clinical outcomes 2) patient and healthcare worker experiences 3) healthcare performance
Methods
A systematic review of published and grey literature, utilising Medline and Emcare (Ovid) was conducted. Multidisciplinary collective leadership models in healthcare settings were included. Screening was undertaken in Covidence and study quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute tool. A narrative synthesis was completed.
Results
From 3004 records, six studies were included. All studies were published in the past ten years and half (n=3) were conducted in acute hospital settings. Designs were commonly quantitative (n=4); two studies met all quality criteria. Shared leadership was the most frequently evaluated subtype of collective leadership (n=3). There were no concrete clinical outcomes reported however participants in one study perceived positive impacts due to increased holistic care. Two studies reported positive impacts on patient experience through improved safety. Five studies explored healthcare worker experiences which included positive outcomes at the team level (teamwork and innovation) and lower stress for individuals. No studies evaluated healthcare performance.
Conclusions
Collective leadership appears to positively influence perceived clinical care, patient experience, and healthcare worker wellbeing. However, evidence base is limited, with an absence of objective outcomes. Robust research is required to evaluate impacts across diverse healthcare contexts, including subacute settings, and on measurable effects on patient outcomes.