Mentoring in healthcare: trend or necessity?

Abstract

The article attempts to assess the necessity for a mentoring system in medical institutions in Moscow. It presents the results of a sociological study, conducted in 2019, which include the analysis of expert interviews (among the experts were heads of the medical institutions subordinate to Moscow Department of Health, institutions of secondary vocational education, additional vocational training, and relating higher educational institutions). Starting with consideration of the issues concerning the attitude of experts to the topic of mentoring, the author identified the need to introduce mentoring in medical institutions, as well as the conditions for organization of effective functioning of the mentoring system, such as choosing a mentor, encouraging him, the timing of mentoring, etc. The author emphasizes that the institution of mentoring is necessary both to help new employees adapt and to help young professionals gain practical skills. According to experts, there is a gap between basic theoretical training and practical experience of young employees, which can be filled with the help of a mentoring system in medical organizations. Analyzing the expert interviews, the author comes to the conclusion that due to the lack of a legal basis for the mentoring system inRussia, it should be said that mentoring is proactive. This article also provides a review of international experience, recommendations of international organizations concerning the personnel crisis in medicine, and the main problems of the world health systems hampering achievement of the millennium goals and economic growth. Among the main barriers highlighted by WHO are the following: lack of medical personnel, uneven geographical distribution of medical workers, lack of access to medical services among the population, poor quality of medical care, etc.