Interorganizational exchanges as performance markers in a community cancer network.
OBJECTIVE
This study examines how "strategic partnerships" between community-based consortia of oncologists and hospitals (CCOPs) and clinical cooperative groups emerge, develop, and influence patient accruals (i.e., the number of patients enrolled in clinical trials) over time.


METHODS
Study analyses are based on 65 pairwise relationships that 38 CCOPs established with eight clinical cooperative groups in September 1983 and maintained through February 1989. Data are drawn from grantee applications and progress reports.


METHODS
The study examines how different types of CCOP-cooperative group exchange relate to one another and to CCOP patient accruals over six time points. Key independent variables include resource dependence, information exchange (i.e., meeting attendance and committee membership), and protocol exchange (i.e., the number of different protocols used).


METHODS
Data extracted from secondary sources were entered in a data base.


RESULTS
The number of CCOP physicians and support staff who attend cooperative group meetings during the first two years of a clinical research partnership has a significant influence on meeting attendance and protocol use in later years. Two-thirds or more of the variance in patient accruals at each time point can be explained by the number of different protocols used and the number of CCOP representatives serving on cooperative group committees (or attending cooperative group meetings).


CONCLUSIONS
The findings highlight the importance of historical relationships and anticipated resource dependence in shaping initial exchange patterns. They also suggest that strategic partnerships need to emphasize structures and processes that encourage early involvement in collaborative activities and that reward participants for maintaining high levels of interaction.
McKinney
M M
MM
Bureau of Health Resources Development, Health Resources and Services Administration, Rockville, MD 20857.
Morrissey
J P
JP
Kaluzny
A D
AD
D002173:Cancer Care Facilities / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003226:Congresses as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000458:organization & administration; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D016522:Oncology Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009935:Organizational Affiliation; D011367:Professional Staff Committees; D012041:Regional Medical Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States