Digital Competencies for Health Service Managers: Educating for Transformation.

Healthcare in the 21st century is experiencing tumultuous times of turbulent and tortuous change, characterised by an aging population, an increasing chronic disease burden, and inadequate workforce capacity to meet this burgeoning demand. The development of digital capabilities for health service managers of today and tomorrow requires an approach that transcends traditional adult learning education and training trajectories. A five-step process for developing an andragogical approach to health service management competency development in the digital context is proposed. This process includes qualifying the capabilities required of health service managers in the digital age and expediating digital transformation within the Australian healthcare environment, informed by empirical research; linking teaching approaches for digital health using the five tenets of adult learning; and coalescing the competencies needed to contextualise knowledge and skills development requirements for the 5th Industrial Revolution. Importantly, formal and informal education and training for health service managers should focus on competency transferability, which requires trainers and educators to understand the transforming context and challenges facing health service managers in the healthcare industry. It is incumbent on the digital health community to build capacity and enable workforce development to inculcate sustainable influence for lasting change in the healthcare system.