title: Familiarity with modern health management trends by West African surgeons.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To collate the self-reported assessment of familiarity with some aspects of managerial competencies on the part of some surgeons and their observations on the managerial environment of their health institutions and draw appropriate policy implications.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study using a structured questionnaire.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted during the 50th Annual Scientific Conference of the West African College of Surgeons, which was held in Calabar, Nigeria, from 6th to It 12th February 2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and ten out of 150 surgeons who were attending the conference returned their filled questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Their familiarity with business and financial concepts was lacking on crucial ones related to marketing strategies. Respondent largely found the listed objections to advertisement of medical services as very appropriate. They preferred largely to interact with themselves in professional associations rather than with others in cross-cultural groupings. Funding (66.4%) and political/ethnic influences (43.9%) were rated as impacting very negatively on their health institutions, while the deployment of information communication technology to institutional processes was adjudged to be unsatisfactory.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most of the indices of core competencies in modern health leadership and management appeared deficient among our study participants and their health institutions managerial environments were equally deficient. We recommend for a well-focussed short time duration health management course for all physicians particularly specialists.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria.
authors: A O
authors: AO
authors: Mahmoud
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Nkanga
authors: A O
authors: AO
authors: Onakoya
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000354:Africa, Western; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D058016:Health Facility Administration / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D040541:Marketing; D008875:Middle Aged; D011361:Professional Competence; D057566:Self Report; D013043:Specialties, Surgical