title: Networks to strengthen health systems for chronic disease prevention.
abstract: Interorganizational networks that harness the priorities, capacities, and skills of various agencies and individuals have emerged as useful approaches for strengthening preventive services in public health systems. We use examples from the Canadian Heart Health Initiative and Alberta's Primary Care Networks to illustrate characteristics of networks, describe the limitations of existing frameworks for assessing the performance of prevention-oriented networks, and propose a research agenda for guiding future efforts to improve the performance of these initiatives. Prevention-specific assessment strategies that capture relevant aspects of network performance need to be identified, and feedback mechanisms are needed that make better use of these data to drive change in network activities.
authors.affiliation: Cameron D. Willis and Allan Best are with the Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, and the School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Cameron D. Willis is also with the University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia. Barbara L. Riley is with the Propel Centre for Population Health Impact and the School of Public Health and Health Systems, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario. Carol P. Herbert is with the Department of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London Ontario.
authors.forename: Cameron D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Willis
authors.forename: Barbara L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Riley
authors.forename: Carol P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Herbert
authors.forename: Allan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Best
mesh_terms: D000416:Alberta; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019058:Community Networks / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*
references.citation: Lancet. 2010 Nov 20;376(9754):1785-97
references.pmid: 21074253
references.citation: J Prim Care Community Health. 2011 Oct 1;2(4):250-4
references.pmid: 23804843
references.citation: CMAJ. 2012 Feb 7;184(2):E144-52
references.pmid: 22143232
references.citation: Health Educ Res. 1998 Dec;13(4):607-22
references.pmid: 10345910
references.citation: Milbank Q. 1996;74(4):511-44
references.pmid: 8941260
references.citation: Healthc Pap. 2000 Spring;1(2):13-35
references.pmid: 12811063
references.citation: Hosp Q. 2003;7(1):73-82
references.pmid: 14674182
references.citation: Med Health Care Philos. 2013 Nov;16(4):691-7
references.pmid: 23192570
references.citation: Int J Health Plann Manage. 2013 Jan-Mar;28(1):85-94
references.pmid: 22777839
references.citation: Healthc Pap. 2006;7(2):10-26
references.pmid: 17167314
references.citation: BMJ Qual Saf. 2012 Mar;21(3):250-62
references.pmid: 22129934
references.citation: J Health Polit Policy Law. 2011 Jun;36(3):515-20
references.pmid: 21673256
references.citation: Milbank Q. 2012 Sep;90(3):421-56
references.pmid: 22985277
references.citation: J Clin Nurs. 2010 Feb;19(3-4):313-23
references.pmid: 20500270
references.citation: Health Educ Behav. 2009 Dec;36(6):1026-50
references.pmid: 19749087
references.citation: Lancet. 2007 Dec 22;370(9605):2152-7
references.pmid: 18063026
references.citation: Promot Educ. 2007;14(4):214-8
references.pmid: 18372871
references.citation: Health Aff (Millwood). 2012 Nov;31(11):2407-16
references.pmid: 23129670
references.citation: Hosp Health Serv Adm. 1993 Winter;38(4):447-66
references.pmid: 10130607
references.citation: Health Aff (Millwood). 2011 Nov;30(11):2149-56
references.pmid: 22068408
references.citation: Health Policy. 2012 Apr;105(1):55-64
references.pmid: 22071454
references.citation: Healthc Pap. 2012;12(2):51-9; discussion 66-70
references.pmid: 22842933
references.citation: Health Aff (Millwood). 1994 Winter;13(5):46-64
references.pmid: 7868039
references.citation: BMC Health Serv Res. 2012 Feb 28;12:49
references.pmid: 22373078
references.citation: Prev Chronic Dis. 2007 Apr;4(2):A29
references.pmid: 17362620
references.citation: Can J Public Health. 2009 Jan-Feb;100(1):Suppl I20-6
references.pmid: 19263979
references.citation: J Public Health Manag Pract. 2011 Nov-Dec;17(6):E1-E11
references.pmid: 21964372
references.citation: Am J Public Health. 2012 Mar;102(3):564-71
references.pmid: 22021311
references.citation: Healthc Manage Forum. 2011 Spring;24(1):20-4
references.pmid: 21630623
references.citation: Prev Chronic Dis. 2010 Nov;7(6):A119
references.pmid: 20950526
references.citation: Respir Care. 2012 Jun;57(6):1021-7
references.pmid: 22663975
references.citation: Am J Health Promot. 2007 May-Jun;21(5):430-8
references.pmid: 17515008