TAKE AWAY IDEAS

1. Organizational Network Analysis as a Technique for Local Agency and System Wide Performance EvaluationJacqueline Merrill¹, Kristine Gebbie², Kathleen Carley3Columbia University,Department of Biomedical Informatics,¹ School of Nursing², Carnegie Mellon University3 TAKE AWAY IDEAS Public health organizational performance can be assessed using network analysis, a technique for managing complex systems A set of public health tasks, resources and knowledge identified for network analysis presents a standard for documenting PH work BACKGROUND SAMPLE COMPARISON DATA COLLECTION LHD 1 employee communication network • Organizational network analysis • a tool for understandingcomplexity • based on social network and graph theory • used to support management decisions • network = how work is done • network ≠ administrative hierarchy • In 2005 a feasibility study demonstrated utility for public health management • Current research is refining the method for public health to compare performance and network structure • An standard employee survey to capture workperformed across health departments • Survey uses a minimum data set derived from established practice documentation and practitioner review environmental ONGOING STUDY • Pilot in two NY State LHDs • NOW RECRUITING for comparative analyses of organizational networks w/ NPHPS performance scores in a national sample of 8 LHDs Size 165 employees Density 0.35 Centralization 0.46 NPHPS Score 52.6 LHD 2 employee communication network IMPLICATIONS • This research will produce standard results : • support local management decisions • build baseline PH network measurement • allow comparisons of LHDs • inform system-wide planning • infrastructure development. environmental This research is funded by a 2006 Pfizer Public Health Scholar Award and a Robert Wood Johnson Public Health Systems Research Award Size 156 employees Density 0.21 Centralization 0.26 NPHPS Score 64.1