title: Findings from an organizational network analysis to support local public health management.
abstract: We assessed the feasibility of using organizational network analysis in a local public health organization. The research setting was an urban/suburban county health department with 156 employees. The goal of the research was to study communication and information flow in the department and to assess the technique for public health management. Network data were derived from survey questionnaires. Computational analysis was performed with the Organizational Risk Analyzer. Analysis revealed centralized communication, limited interdependencies, potential knowledge loss through retirement, and possible informational silos. The findings suggested opportunities for more cross program coordination but also suggested the presences of potentially efficient communication paths and potentially beneficial social connectedness. Managers found the findings useful to support decision making. Public health organizations must be effective in an increasingly complex environment. Network analysis can help build public health capacity for complex system management.
authors.affiliation: Columbia University Department of Biomedical Informatics, New York, NY, USA. jam119@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Merrill
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caldwell
authors.forename: Maxine L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Rockoff
authors.forename: Kristine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gebbie
authors.forename: Kathleen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Carley
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bakken
mesh_terms: D003628:Database Management Systems; D003660:Decision Support Systems, Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000379:methods*; D008490:Medical Informatics / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009518:New York; D011634:Public Health / Q000379:methods*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires