Network organizations of general practitioners: antecedents of formation and consequences of participation.
BACKGROUND
Network forms of organization are increasingly popular in primary care. At the end of the 1990s General Practitioners (GPs) in Italy were given the opportunity to adopt network forms of organization with the aim of improving the quality of their services. However factors affecting GPs' choices to join a network and the consequences of network membership have not been evaluated.


METHODS
Administrative data of a Local Health Authority in Central Italy were analyzed using statistical methods at individual and dyadic levels of analysis.


RESULTS
Homophily factors seem to influence a GP's choice of network. The consequences of network membership on GP performances seem very limited.


CONCLUSIONS
When considering to foster the diffusion of network organizational forms in health care creating a network structure, like that of Italian GPs, is not sufficient. Other features of the implementation phase, work organization and human resource management should also be considered.
Fattore
Giovanni
G
Department of Public Management and Institutional Analysis and CERGAS, Università Bocconi, via Roentgen 1, 20136, Milan, Italy.
Salvatore
Domenico
D
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D032982:Contracts; D005194:Family Practice / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009313:National Health Programs; D011216:Practice Management, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*
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