Improving Integrated Care: Modelling the performance of an online community of practice
Introduction: This article aims to confirm the following core hypothesis: a Community of Practice’s use of a Web 2.0 platform for communication between primary and hospital care leads to improved primary care and fewer hospital referrals. This core hypothesis will be corroborated by testing a furthe...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Ubiquity Press
2014-03-01
|
| Series: | International Journal of Integrated Care |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.ijic.org/articles/1200 |
| _version_ | 1811342982172901376 |
|---|---|
| author | Ángel Díaz-Chao Joan Torrent-Sellens David Lacasta-Tintorer Francesc Saigí-Rubió |
| author_facet | Ángel Díaz-Chao Joan Torrent-Sellens David Lacasta-Tintorer Francesc Saigí-Rubió |
| author_sort | Ángel Díaz-Chao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: This article aims to confirm the following core hypothesis: a Community of Practice’s use of a Web 2.0 platform for communication between primary and hospital care leads to improved primary care and fewer hospital referrals. This core hypothesis will be corroborated by testing a further five partial hypotheses that complete the main hypothesis being estimated. Methods: An ad-hoc questionnaire was designed and sent to a sample group of 357 professionals from the Badalona-Sant Adrià de Besòs Primary Care Service in Catalonia, Spain, which includes nine primary care centres and three specialist care centres. The study sample was formed by 159 respondents. The partial least squares methodology was used to estimate the model of the causal relationship and the proposed hypotheses. Results: It was found that when healthcare staff used social networks and information and communication technologies professionally, and the more contact hours they have with patients, the more a Web 2.0 platform was likely to be used for communication between primary and hospital care professionals. Such use led to improved primary care and fewer hospital referrals according to the opinions of health professionals on its use. Conclusions: The research suggests that the efficiency of medical practice is explained by the intensity of Web 2.0 platform use for communication between primary and specialist care professionals. Public policies promoting the use of information and communication technologies in communities of practice should go beyond the technological dimension and consider other professional, organisational and social determinants. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T19:21:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a8f557378a75496686db3bb389b8bd5e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1568-4156 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T19:21:37Z |
| publishDate | 2014-03-01 |
| publisher | Ubiquity Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Integrated Care |
| spelling | doaj.art-a8f557378a75496686db3bb389b8bd5e2022-12-22T02:33:31ZengUbiquity PressInternational Journal of Integrated Care1568-41562014-03-0114110.5334/ijic.12001326Improving Integrated Care: Modelling the performance of an online community of practiceÁngel Díaz-Chao0Joan Torrent-Sellens1David Lacasta-Tintorer2Francesc Saigí-Rubió3Rey Juan Carlos UniversityOpen University of CataloniaIDIAP Jordi Gol, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, SpainOpen University of Catalonia.Introduction: This article aims to confirm the following core hypothesis: a Community of Practice’s use of a Web 2.0 platform for communication between primary and hospital care leads to improved primary care and fewer hospital referrals. This core hypothesis will be corroborated by testing a further five partial hypotheses that complete the main hypothesis being estimated. Methods: An ad-hoc questionnaire was designed and sent to a sample group of 357 professionals from the Badalona-Sant Adrià de Besòs Primary Care Service in Catalonia, Spain, which includes nine primary care centres and three specialist care centres. The study sample was formed by 159 respondents. The partial least squares methodology was used to estimate the model of the causal relationship and the proposed hypotheses. Results: It was found that when healthcare staff used social networks and information and communication technologies professionally, and the more contact hours they have with patients, the more a Web 2.0 platform was likely to be used for communication between primary and hospital care professionals. Such use led to improved primary care and fewer hospital referrals according to the opinions of health professionals on its use. Conclusions: The research suggests that the efficiency of medical practice is explained by the intensity of Web 2.0 platform use for communication between primary and specialist care professionals. Public policies promoting the use of information and communication technologies in communities of practice should go beyond the technological dimension and consider other professional, organisational and social determinants.http://www.ijic.org/articles/1200integrated care, community of practice, telemedicine, teleconsulting, partial least squares modelling |
| spellingShingle | Ángel Díaz-Chao Joan Torrent-Sellens David Lacasta-Tintorer Francesc Saigí-Rubió Improving Integrated Care: Modelling the performance of an online community of practice International Journal of Integrated Care integrated care, community of practice, telemedicine, teleconsulting, partial least squares modelling |
| title | Improving Integrated Care: Modelling the performance of an online community of practice |
| title_full | Improving Integrated Care: Modelling the performance of an online community of practice |
| title_fullStr | Improving Integrated Care: Modelling the performance of an online community of practice |
| title_full_unstemmed | Improving Integrated Care: Modelling the performance of an online community of practice |
| title_short | Improving Integrated Care: Modelling the performance of an online community of practice |
| title_sort | improving integrated care modelling the performance of an online community of practice |
| topic | integrated care, community of practice, telemedicine, teleconsulting, partial least squares modelling |
| url | http://www.ijic.org/articles/1200 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT angeldiazchao improvingintegratedcaremodellingtheperformanceofanonlinecommunityofpractice AT joantorrentsellens improvingintegratedcaremodellingtheperformanceofanonlinecommunityofpractice AT davidlacastatintorer improvingintegratedcaremodellingtheperformanceofanonlinecommunityofpractice AT francescsaigirubio improvingintegratedcaremodellingtheperformanceofanonlinecommunityofpractice |