Multilevel Perspectives on the Diffusion of Health Care Best Practices

Amanda M. Beacom, PhD is a Visiting Scholar at the Carroll School of Management, Boston College. Her research aims to increase our understanding of how knowledge is communicated in organizational networks, particularly in health contexts. She holds a PhD in communication from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in health policy from Johns Hopkins University. She recently completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Alberta Faculty of Nursing.

Abstract:

While scholars have developed a rich understanding of diffusion in interpersonal knowledge networks–and, to a lesser extent, in inter-organizational networks–we know much less about how knowledge and best practices diffuse simultaneously across people, organizations, and other types of actors within a population, sector, or industry. For example, in planning a dissemination strategy, how might inter-organizational network data enhance what we know about an interpersonal network? Do opinion leading individuals tend to work in opinion leading organizations? What new insights can we gain from considering information technologies, as well as the people, as another type, or level, of actor in diffusion networks? In this talk, I review some obstacles to and advances in multilevel network analysis, and present two of my own research projects that examine the diffusion of health care best practices in multilevel networks.

Frontiers for Network Analysis in Health Systems Research and Implementation Science

Health services and systems researchers are increasingly interested in studying the role and utilizing the power of social relations.  Social networks have been studied to inform, promote, and evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of health interventions.

The focus for this year’s Health Services, Systems & Policy Seminar Series at the Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation (IHPME), University of Toronto is on applications of social network analysis techniques and theories to study health services and systems. The series will engage Canadian and international scholars to discuss empirical and theoretical efforts to highlight the promise and potential, caveats, and limitations of network analysis in the field.

In person or webinar presentations and Q/As will be broadcast online, and will be archived on the IHPME website.