The role of leadership in driving change in cancer survival outcomes in seven high income countries

Abstract Background There is well-established variation in cancer survival across high-income countries with seemingly-similar health systems. There is much research on reasons for these differences, but the role of leadership has been under-researched despite being one of the WHO 'building blocks' that underpin a functioning health system. Leadership is variously defined as including governance, stewardship, responsibility and accountability. As part of the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership, this study looked at these diverse aspects of leadership to identify drivers of change and improvement across a range of high-income countries. Methods Cancer strategy documents were analysed from 22 jurisdictions: Australia (3 states), Canada (10 provinces), Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, and UK (4 countries). Key informants in 15 of these jurisdictions, representing a range of stakeholders, were recruited through a combination of purposive and 'snowball' strategies, and invited to participate in semi-structured interviews. Documents and interview transcripts were analysed using a thematic approach. Results Different facets of leadership emerged: diffused vs centralised (including the central role of a cancer agency in some places); national, regional and local leadership structures; links between primary and secondary care. This study, however, demonstrated a central role for sustained leadership and political commitment, crucial for initiating and maintaining progress, as was a coherent vision that supported the implementation of national policies locally. Clinical leadership emerged as vital for translating policy into action. Conclusions Improving cancer outcomes is challenging and complex but is unlikely to be achieved without effective leadership and sustained political commitment that can create effective co-ordination of care. Key messages Different facets of leadership of the cancer care system emerged as important when exploring the reasons for variations in cancer outcomes in high-income countries. The persistence of these variations is unacceptable. Change will require political commitment and effective leadership, especially by clinicians.

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Exploring the Role of Leadership in Facilitating Change to Improve Cancer Survival: An Analysis of Experiences in Seven High Income Countries in the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership (ICBP)

International Journal of Health Policy and Management ◽

10.34172/ijhpm.2021.84 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Melanie Morris ◽

Maureen Seguin ◽

Susan Landon ◽

Martin McKee ◽

Ellen Nolte

Keyword(s):

Cancer Survival ◽

High Income

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Cancer survival in high-income and low-income countries: role of dose calculation of chemotherapy

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckq090 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 20 (4) ◽

pp. 475-476

Author(s):

C. K. Bose

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Cancer Survival ◽

Dose Calculation ◽

High Income ◽

Low Income Countries

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OP02 The role of leadership in driving change in cancer outcomes in high income countries

10.1136/jech-2020-ssmabstracts.2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

M Morris ◽

M Seguin ◽

M McKee ◽

E Nolte

Keyword(s):

High Income ◽

Cancer Outcomes

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"There’s Not Enough Bodies to Do the Demand:" An Exploration of Key Stakeholder Views on the Role of Health Service Capacity in Shaping Cancer Outcomes in 7 International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership Countries

International Journal of Health Policy and Management ◽

10.34172/ijhpm.2020.254 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Maureen Seguin ◽

Melanie Morris ◽

Martin McKee ◽

Ellen Nolte

Keyword(s):

Health System ◽

Health Systems ◽

Cancer Care ◽

Cancer Survival ◽

System Capacity ◽

Multidisciplinary Teams ◽

Specialist Care ◽

Cancer Outcomes ◽

Patient Journey

Background: Differences in cancer survival are shaped by differences in health system capacity in workforce and infrastructure. Part of the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership (ICBP), this study explored stakeholders’ perceptions of the role of health system capacity necessary for cancer care in influencing cancer survival in 7 high-income countries. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 79 key informants from national, regional, and local tiers of health systems, professional bodies, patient associations, and academic experts in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom. Data collection was guided by a conceptual model linking characteristics of health systems and cancer survival along the cancer patient journey, from recognition of symptoms at pre-diagnostic stages through to survivorship or death. Data were analysed using a thematic approach. Results: We identified 3 themes as important in shaping cancer outcomes: primary care and access to diagnostic evaluation, specialist care and access to treatment, and workforce pertaining to diagnostic and treatment phases. Improved infrastructure for diagnosis and treatment had improved cancer outcomes in all jurisdictions. However, this was seen as insufficient if staffing was inadequate. Consolidation of services and greater surgical specialisation was important in some jurisdictions if accompanied by a reconfiguration of services, in particular the creation of specialist multidisciplinary teams, along with supporting capacity in the wider health system. Staff shortages were commonly cited as reasons why some jurisdictions lagged behind others. Conclusion: Continued improvement in cancer outcomes will require sustained investment in plans to deliver and maintain the workforce engaged in cancer care and in the infrastructure on which they depend. However, strategic plans must recognise that systems for cancer care do not work in isolation from the rest of the health system and a whole systems approach is essential if we are to improve outcomes for an ageing, increasingly multimorbid population.

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Effective Leadership Conceptualization in Higher Education Context

Sukkur IBA Journal of Management and Business ◽

10.30537/sijmb.v8i1.296 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 1-14

Author(s):

Sobia Shafaq Shah ◽

Asif Ali Shah ◽

Arjumand Bano Soomro

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Effective Leadership ◽

Faculty Members ◽

Department Head ◽

Research Approach ◽

Multiple Perspectives ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Inductive Research ◽

Sindh Province

The relevancy and significance of effective leadership has been emphasised in every setting, situation and context. The conceptualisation of effective leadership embedded in multiple perspectives due to the contextualised nature of leadership. The significance of higher education institutions and the necessity to manifest effective leadership in educational context entails empirical research and deep down understanding. Keeping in view the elusive nature of effective leadership and pivotal role of department head, this research endeavour aimed at exploring faculty members’ perceptions concerning their conceptualisation of effective department leadership. Drawn from inductive research approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted from twelve faculty members of public university of Pakistan, located in Sindh province. The study findings highlighted thirteen important behaviours in relation to manifesting effective leadership by department heads. Notably, the majority of highlighted leadership behaviours appeared closely aligned with various dimensions of transformational leadership. However, there is need to conduct further research studies with larger sample to endorse the effective leadership conceptualisation in Pakistani higher education context.

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Tertiary English-majored Students’ Perceptions toward the Role of Pronunciation in English Language Learning and their Practicing Strategies

Tập chí Khoa học Xã hội và Nhân văn ◽

10.33100/jossh6.2.phangiathinh-tranquocthao ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 264-279

Keyword(s):

Language Learning ◽

English Language ◽

Vital Role ◽

English Language Learning ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Efl Learners ◽

The University

Accurate pronunciation has a vital role in English language learning as it can help learners to avoid misunderstanding in communication. However, EFL learners in many contexts, especially at the University of Phan Thiet, still encounter many difficulties in pronouncing English correctly. Therefore, this study endeavors to explore English-majored students’ perceptions towards the role of pronunciation in English language learning and examine their pronunciation practicing strategies (PPS). It involved 155 English-majored students at the University of Phan Thiet who answered closed-ended questionnaires and 18 English-majored students who participated in semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that students strongly believed in the important role of pronunciation in English language learning; however, they sometimes employed PPS for their pronunciation improvement. Furthermore, the results showed that participants tended to use naturalistic practicing strategies and formal practicing strategies with sounds, but they overlooked strategies such as asking for help and cooperating with peers. Such findings could contribute further to the understanding of how students perceive the role of pronunciation and their PPS use in the research’s context and other similar ones. Received 10th June 2019; Revised 12th March 2020; Accepted 12th April 2020

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Knowledge creation in small building and construction firms

Journal of Innovation Management ◽

10.24840/2183-0606_001.001_0009 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 125-142 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Susanne Durst ◽

Ingi Runar Edvardsson ◽

Guido Bruns

Keyword(s):

Construction Industry ◽

Knowledge Creation ◽

Vital Role ◽

Knowledge Sources ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Construction Firms ◽

External Knowledge ◽

Body Of Knowledge ◽

Small Building

Studies on knowledge creation are limited in general, and there is a particular shortage of research on the topic in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Given the importance of SMEs for the economy and the vital role of knowledge creation in innovation, this situation is unsatisfactory. Accordingly, the purpose of our study is to increase our understanding of how SMEs create new knowledge. Data are obtained through semi-structured interviews with ten managing directors of German SMEs operating in the building and construction industry. The findings demonstrate the influence of external knowledge sources on knowledge creation activities. Even though the managing directors take advantage of different external knowledge sources, they seem to put an emphasis on informed knowledge sources. The study´s findings advance the limited body of knowledge regarding knowledge creation in SMEs.

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The Role of the City in Merovingian Francia

The Oxford Handbook of the Merovingian World ◽

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190234188.013.28 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 581-610

Author(s):

S. T. Loseby

Keyword(s):

Roman Empire ◽

Urban Communities ◽

Late Antiquity ◽

Building Blocks ◽

Urban Network ◽

City Councils ◽

Royal Courts ◽

Range Of Functions ◽

Fierce Competition

The Merovingians inherited an urban network from the Roman Empire that remained substantially intact. Although Gallic cities had long been declining in extent and sophistication, during late antiquity their landscapes were adapted to contemporary priorities through the provision of walls and churches, and their politics was transformed by the emergence of bishops as leaders of urban communities. When the upper tiers of imperial administration disappeared, this equipped the vast majority of cities to survive as the basic building blocks of Merovingian kingdoms that were initially conceived as aggregations of city–territories. In ruling through their cities, the Merovingians expanded upon existing mechanisms for the extraction of taxes and services, while relying on centrally appointed bishops and counts rather than city councils for the projection of their authority. This generated fierce competition between kings for control of cities and among local elites for positions of power within them. In the later Merovingian period, however, the significance of cities diminished as stable territorial kingdoms emerged, political practice was centralized around the royal courts, and the Roman administrative legacy finally disintegrated. But the cities remained preeminent religious centers, and, with the beginnings of economic revival, continued to perform a range of functions unmatched by other categories of settlement.

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Mediating Factor of Emotional Intelligence in Intercultural Competence and Work Productivity of Volunteers

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11092625 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 2625 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jolita Vveinhardt ◽

Rita Bendaraviciene ◽

Ingrida Vinickyte

Keyword(s):

Emotional Intelligence ◽

Empirical Research ◽

Research Methodology ◽

Intercultural Competence ◽

Work Productivity ◽

Intercultural Education ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Mediating Factor ◽

The Impact

Volunteering, the volunteer’s intercultural competence and emotional intelligence contribute to intercultural education and sustainability in various societies of today. The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of emotional intelligence and intercultural competence on work productivity of volunteers. The first part of the article substantiates theoretical associations between emotional intelligence, intercultural competence and work productivity. Based on theoretical insights, empirical research methodology was prepared, which consisted of four categories divided into sub-categories that provided the structure of the question groups. The empirical research involved seven informants working in Lithuania, who welcomed volunteers from abroad. The research was conducted using the method of semi-structured interviews. The conclusions present a systematic perspective towards the role of emotional intelligence in the intercultural competence and work productivity of volunteers. In this context, emotional intelligence works as a mediating factor. The contributing role of volunteer-receiving organisations in the development of the volunteers’ emotional intelligence is also highlighted.

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