title: Using organizational network analysis to plan cancer screening programs for vulnerable populations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined relationships among organizations in a cancer screening network to inform the development of interventions to improve cancer screening for South Asians living in the Peel region of Ontario.
  
  
  METHODS
  From April to July 2012, we surveyed decision-makers, program managers, and program staff in 22 organizations in the South Asian cancer screening network in the Peel region. We used a network analytic approach to evaluate density (range = 0%-100%, number of ties among organizations in the network expressed as a percentage of all possible ties), centralization (range = 0-1, the extent of variability in centrality), and node characteristics for the communication, collaboration, and referral networks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Density was similar across communication (15%), collaboration (17%), and referral (19%) networks. Centralization was greater in the collaboration network (0.30) than the communication network (0.24), and degree centralization was greater in the inbound (0.42) than the outbound (0.37) referral network. Diverse organizations were central to the networks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Certain organizations were unexpectedly important to the South Asian cancer screening network. Program planning was informed by identifying opportunities to strengthen linkages between key organizations and to leverage existing ties.
authors: Rebecca Lobb is with the Department of Surgery, Division of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, and Bobbi J. Carothers is with the George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Center for Public Health Systems Science, Washington University, St Louis, MO. Rebecca Lobb is also with the Keenan Research Centre, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, and Aisha K. Lofters is with the Department of Family and Community Medicine, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON.
authors: Rebecca
authors: R
authors: Lobb
authors: Bobbi J
authors: BJ
authors: Carothers
authors: Aisha K
authors: AK
authors: Lofters
mesh_terms: D001208:Asia / Q000208:ethnology; D003142:Communication; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D035862:Vulnerable Populations