Extent and patterns of community collaboration in local health departments: An exploratory survey

Creating, Synthesizing, and Sharing: The Management of Knowledge in Public Health

OBJECTIVES

To better understand the applicability of knowledge management (KM) in public health (PH) as a strategy to improve planning and decision making.

DESIGN AND SAMPLE

The study was designed as a narrative inquiry; a form of storytelling research. Qualitative data were collected through interviews designed to gain participants' stories about planning processes. Twenty-four participants from six PH Units in Ontario, Canada.

MEASURES

We performed a secondary analysis to better understand the use of KM strategies, techniques, and approaches. Findings were compared to a preliminary KM framework supporting knowledge processes within a dynamic, interactive context.

RESULTS

Analysis showed that while KM strategies are supported informally, it is most often done in an ad hoc manner. Participants acknowledged a gap in their knowledge sharing practices.

CONCLUSION

PH professionals are ready to apply KM in PH as an approach to facilitate planning and decision making. The proposed KM framework incorporates partnerships to adapt to the realities of PH context. Consideration of KM strategies can improve information organization, partnerships and decision making, as well as contribute to current PH reforms aimed at strengthening the health care system. This presents an opportunity to integrate formalized methods of knowledge use and knowledge sharing among PH employees using a KM approach.

Public health partnerships: Does the evidence justify the enthusiasm?

Partnerships are commonly identified as a foundational public health strategy. However, despite the prevalence and enthusiasm for partnerships, there are few published evaluations of public health partnerships in the Canadian context, and international literature reports that most partnerships have little to no effect on health outcomes. The contradicting enthusiasm and evidence create a challenging scenario for Canadian public health leaders and practitioners who are encouraged to both engage in partnerships and implement evidence-informed practices.