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1 – 3 of 3Andrea Fronzetti Colladon, Francesca Grippa, Chiara Broccatelli, Cynthia Mauren, Scarlett Mckinsey, Jacob Kattan, Evelyne St. John Sutton, Lisa Satlin and John Bucuvalas
This study aims to investigate the dynamics of knowledge sharing in health care, exploring some of the factors that are more likely to influence the evolution of idea sharing and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the dynamics of knowledge sharing in health care, exploring some of the factors that are more likely to influence the evolution of idea sharing and advice seeking in health care.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors engaged 50 pediatricians representing many subspecialties at a mid-size US children’s hospital using a social network survey to map and measure advice seeking and idea sharing networks. Through the application of Stochastic Actor-Oriented Models, the authors compared the structure of the two networks prior to a leadership program and eight weeks post conclusion.
Findings
The models indicate that health-care professionals carefully and intentionally choose with whom they share ideas and from whom to seek advice. The process is fluid, non-hierarchical and open to changing partners. Significant transitivity effects indicate that the processes of knowledge sharing can be supported by mediation and brokerage.
Originality/value
Hospital administrators can use this method to assess knowledge-sharing dynamics, design and evaluate professional development initiatives and promote new organizational structures that break down communication silos. This work contributes to the literature on knowledge sharing in health care by adopting a social network approach, going beyond the dyadic level and assessing the indirect influence of peers’ relationships on individual networks.
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Keywords
Francesca Grippa, John Bucuvalas, Andrea Booth, Evaline Alessandrini, Andrea Fronzetti Colladon and Lisa M. Wade
The purpose of this paper is to explore possible factors impacting team performance in healthcare, by focusing on information exchange within and across hospital’s boundaries.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore possible factors impacting team performance in healthcare, by focusing on information exchange within and across hospital’s boundaries.
Design/methodology/approach
Through a web-survey and group interviews, the authors collected data on the communication networks of 31 members of four interdisciplinary healthcare teams involved in a system redesign initiative within a large US children’s hospital. The authors mapped their internal and external social networks based on management advice, technical support and knowledge dissemination within and across departments, studying interaction patterns that involved more than 700 actors. The authors then compared team performance and social network metrics such as degree, closeness and betweenness centrality, and computed cross ties and constraint levels for each team.
Findings
The results indicate that highly effective teams were more inwardly focused and less connected to outside members. Moreover, highly recognized teams communicated frequently but, overall, less intensely than the others.
Originality/value
Mapping knowledge flows and balancing internal focus and outward connectivity of interdisciplinary teams may help healthcare decision makers in their attempt to achieve high value for patients, families and employees.
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