New Findings from University of Illinois Chicago Describe Advances in Social Science (Roles of Social Networking in Complex Multi-agency Implementation Efforts): Science – Social Science

2022 SEP 30 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Investigators publish new report on social science. According to news originating from the University of Illinois Chicago by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “Some state health departments in the United States are in the process of increasing access to immediate postpartum long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), an evidence based approach to preventing unintended pregnancy. Changing state Medicaid policies for immediate postpartum LARC reimbursement has proven insufficient for overcoming access barriers, so states developed implementation strategies to conduct multiple, coordinated systems changes.”

The news journalists obtained a quote from the research from University of Illinois Chicago: “This research was conducted to understand the roles of social networks in implementing a complex health systems change. In 2015 and 2018, semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with state teams engaged in increasing access to immediate postpartum LARC. Transcriptions of interviews were coded based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research and implementation strategies, then themes were refined through discussion. A web-based assessment in 2018 evaluated degree of implementation accomplishment. Teams found that increased formal or informal social engagement among members aided timeliness, resource coordination, accountability, and enthusiasm, and over the course of 2 years, reduced disruptions due to staff turnover. The composition of the team influenced the social ties it could draw upon. Preexisting relationships were the most common source of social networking. Bridging social ties connected state teams to novel information and instrumental aid used to seek funding, conduct consumer awareness activities, and train healthcare providers.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Cultivating and maintaining relationships among agencies and organizations as part of routine operations enables them to be available for future implementation efforts. Multi-agency teams may benefit from prioritizing time for internal and external relationship-building to enhance implementation progress.”

For more information on this research see: Roles of Social Networking in Complex Multi-agency Implementation Efforts. SAGE Open, 2022,12. (SAGE Open - http://journals.sagepub.com/home/sgoa). The publisher for SAGE Open is SAGE Publishing.

A free version of this journal article is available at https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221123303.

Our news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Cameron Estrich, University of Illinois Chicago, United States. Additional authors for this research include Carla L. DeSisto, Ellen Pliska, Christine N. Mackie, Alisa Velonis, Keriann Uesugi, Lisa F. Waddell, Kristin M. Rankin.

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