By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    improving patient experience
    6 Ways to Improve Patient Satisfaction Within Hospitals
    December 1, 2021
    degree for healthcare job
    What Are The Health Benefits Of Having A Degree?
    March 9, 2022
    custom software development is changing healthcare
    Digital Customer Journey Mapping and its Importance for Healthcare
    July 21, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Can Thinking Younger Make You Live Longer?
    April 20, 2011
    Image
    Obesity’s Outlook Unchanged
    June 13, 2011
    When It’s An Emergency Elderly Not Treated As Well in Hospitals
    July 16, 2011
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: The Real Value of Networks Lies Within the Community
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Social Media > The Real Value of Networks Lies Within the Community
eHealthSocial Media

The Real Value of Networks Lies Within the Community

BrianSMcGowan
Last updated: August 4, 2012 8:08 am
BrianSMcGowan
Share
6 Min Read
SHARE

There is great value in learning about the science of social networks. As you might imagine, I believe that there is not a single facet of our lives that is not impacted by our social graph. But the greater impact of this social network science, lies in our ability to leverage this science to drive change ― and for our professional purposes – to drive healthcare quality improvement. To achieve this we need to move beyond the science of “networks” and begin to explore the foundational theories of “communities.”

There is great value in learning about the science of social networks. As you might imagine, I believe that there is not a single facet of our lives that is not impacted by our social graph. But the greater impact of this social network science, lies in our ability to leverage this science to drive change ― and for our professional purposes – to drive healthcare quality improvement. To achieve this we need to move beyond the science of “networks” and begin to explore the foundational theories of “communities.”

The term “community of practice” was coined by educational theorist and educator Etienne Wenger in his 1998 book, “Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning and Identity.” Wenger defines it this way:

“Communities of practice are formed by people who engage in a process of collective learning in a shared domain of human endeavor: a tribe learning to survive, … a clique of pupils defining their identity in the school, a network of surgeons exploring novel techniques, a gathering of first-time managers helping each other cope.”

The common thread shared in the Wenger’s examples above, and the common element at the heart of every community of practice, is that of having a “collective intent” and a “shared praxis” that galvanize the community. For our purposes we can simplify “collective intent” as a common vision or goal and we can simplify “shared praxis” as the rules or ethics that are accepted as norms within the community – together collective intent and shared praxis make up the community’s culture.

More Read

HIMSS Moving Forward
Mobile Health Around the Globe: Spain and InShapeMoms
Apple Health App: A First Taste
How to Create an Original Healthcare Campaign That Leaves A Lasting Impression
Will FDA Stifle Innovation in Diagnostic Software?

The most basic lesson from Wenger’s work is that social networks may or may not be communities of practice, but in most cases a social network COULD become a community of practice if the culture can be established

To leverage the real power of a network, we must 1) understand its underlying network structure and 2) infuse that network with a culture of improvement. If you can get this far, anything is possible.

But this is easier said than done. We are quickly learning that there is no one perfect structure for a network and no one perfect structure for a community of practice. In each case the optimal form depends on what you are trying to accomplish, and since the goals and missions are rarely one-dimensional (there is rarely one single goal in play) we will never be able to engineer the perfect system. As an example, take a quick look at the figure below.

From this social graph you might imagine that in this simple network being in position B is a great place to be to ensure ready access to information, but pretty lousy if you are trying to avoid the flu (the concept of contagion has often been used as an analogy for information flow). Conversely, being in position A is marvelous for avoiding infection, but pretty poor if you want to stay informed to what the network is up to. Fortunately we have new ways of studying the structure of networks which we can talk about in future posts.

Our larger challenge is that infusing a network with a collective intent and framing a shared praxis is far from simple. In fact, turning existing networks into effective communities for a deliberate, specific, and greater purpose may be the greatest challenge faced by our generation.

So how do we prepare for this challenge?

Looking at where our healthcare systems need to go, I can’t think of a more important professional competency than that described above. So clearly, organizations like the Alliance for CEHP, IHI, and AAMC need to quickly get up to speed – this is not the first time I have called for more formal professional development opportunities to be offered by the establishment. But in the meantime, there are countless books, tweetchats, and forums where we can each begin practicing what we need to be preaching.

If enabling communities of practice is an essential element of quality improvement in the health professions, then it stands to reason that communities of practice can enable our profession to make needed improvements too. So look out for these opportunities and when you find a great resource share it – it will be a lot easier on all of us if we can rely on each other to get to where we need to be!

TAGGED:social networking
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Health
May 15, 2025
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction heart treatment
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction
Cardiology
May 13, 2025

You Might also Like

benefits outsourcing medical billing
FinanceGlobal HealthcareHospital AdministrationMedical Records

Benefits of Outsourcing Your Medical Claims Processing

October 6, 2014
eHealthHealth careMedical EducationMedical EthicsParenting

Vaping Health Risks Raise Alarm About Educating Younger Generations

February 11, 2020

Can Social Media Save Lives?

June 24, 2011

9 Great HealthCare Phone Apps

October 22, 2011
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?