Using social network analysis to measure and promote integration in a community-based chronic disease prevention initiative

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Emily Bourcier, MPH, MHA¹, Allen Cheadle, PhD², Bill Beery, MPH¹, James Krieger, MD, MPH³, and Daniel Lessler, MD, MHA⁴. (1) Evaluation Team, Group Health Community Foundation, 1730 Minor Avenue, Suite 1500, Seattle, WA 98101, 206-287-4390, beery.b@ghc.org, (2) Department of Health Services, University of Washington, 927 30th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122, (3) Epidemiology, Planning and Evaluation, Seattle King County Public Health, 999 Third Avenue, Suite 1200, Seattle, WA 98104, (4) Ambulatory Care, Harborview Medical Center/University of Washington, 325 9th Ave, Box 359704, Seattle, WA 98104

Organizations that serve targeted at-risk populations increasingly seek the benefits of integrating across services and systems, particularly to improve the quality and efficiency of program delivery and to promote the implementation of policies. Such new and complex approaches can benefit from evaluation methods that measure and understand this complexity. The Steps program in Seattle aims to increase the level of integration among organizations working on the prevention and control of diabetes, asthma, and obesity, and the underlying risk factors. The Steps evaluation team is using social network analysis (SNA) to measure changes in integration over time and to identify opportunities for advantageous integration. The team collected baseline data through telephone key informant interviews with one contact from each of thirty-two Steps organizations. Each reported relationship was assigned to one of six categories based on its primary purpose (e.g., whether it is to improve service delivery, training, data sharing, or sustainability), and then rated for duration and significance according to a defined protocol developed by the team. SNA techniques were applied to the relationship data to assess the extent to which relationships are present (network density) and to produce graphs depicting patterns of relationships. The team is exploring methods for using the results to provide feedback to the Steps organizations to identify new, potentially productive relationships and to strengthen existing ties.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

1. Identify strategies to measure and promote integration among organizations participating in a community health initiative.
2. Understand the opportunities and challenges when applying social network analysis in the evaluation of a community health initiative.
3. Incorporate lessons learned into their own collaborative work.

Keywords: Evaluation, Community Collaboration

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Methodologies Used for Promoting Health and Reducing Health Disparities

The 134th Annual Meeting & Exposition (November 4-8, 2006) of APHA