Journal of African Development

Emotional intelligence as an idea has gained increased recognition as an important driver of patient-centered care and organizational effectiveness in healthcare organizations, particularly in emotionally complex and intricate environments. The scholarly research on the topic has been vast, but nevertheless, there remains only sporadic empirical evidence across various scholarly disciplines, methods, and settings. This study undertakes a systematic literature review in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 protocol to examine the role of emotional intelligence in the healthcare domain. A thorough search of the five leading academic databases: Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Emerald Insight, and SpringerLink, yielded 857 records of publications from the years 2010 to 2025. After going through the process of scrutinizing and assessing the studies for their eligibility, 95 peer-reviewed empirical studies were selected for thematic and chronological synthesis. The results unequivocally indicate a strong and stable link between emotional intelligence and various positive outcomes such as patient-centered care, staff well-being, effective leadership, and overall organizational performance. Historical examination shows a shift from focusing on individuals' interpersonal relationships to considering all levels and dimensions of organizations and systems. Most recent research studies are pointing to digital, hybrid, and highly stressful healthcare situations. Nonetheless, the issue of methodological weaknesses remains, which includes the dependency on cross-sectional designs, self-reports, and the scarcity of longitudinal and cross-cultural studies. This systematic review not only theoretical development by pooling previously separate findings into an intelligible multi-level framework but also informs healthcare management and workforce development practices, as well as highlights the necessity for policy change in terms of integrating emotional intelligence in healthcare education and quality improvement initiatives. Thus, the research delivers a strong evidence base that not only sets the direction for further studies but also aids healthcare that is sustainable and focused on patients.