Greener I, Ibbotson T, Grimshaw JM, Sullivan FM, Eccles M, Kahan JP; International Society of Technology Assessment in Health Care. Meeting.
Annu Meet Int Soc Technol Assess Health Care Int Soc Technol Assess Health Care Meet. 1998; 14: 31.
Health Services Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.
OBJECTIVE: Social influence theory recognises the importance of shared beliefs, assumptions and group norms. Opinion leaders are educational influences who could be targeted in order to implement changes in practice based on research evidence. However, the feasibility of this strategy depends on the existance of readily identifiable opinion leaders with coherent social networks, and on the willingness of those identified as opinion leaders to facilitate the implementation of research based practice. This study aims to assess the feasibility of identifying opinion leaders in different UK primary and secondary health care professional groups, and to determine their professional and personal characteristics. METHODS: Postal survey of general practitioners (GPs), practice managers (PMs), practice nurses (PNs) in the North East of England (pilot study), and in one area of Scotland (main study). In secondary care, postal survey of physicians, surgeons, and nurses in two hospitals in Scotland (main study). Group and individual face to face interviews with sub samples of professionals. Further surveys of primary and secondary health professionals will be ready for presentation in June. RESULTS: Primary care: Overall response rate in the NE of England was 56%: GPs 51%, PNs 54%, PMs 78%. A smaller percentage of each group attempted to respond to the opinion leader sections. Ten opinion leaders were identified in primary care, nominated as such by 7% of the sample. In Scotland the overall response rate was 51%: GPs 44%, PNs 58%, PMs 66%. Once again, in all cases a smaller percentage attempted to respond to the opinion leader sections. 31 opinion leaders were identified in primary care, nominated as such by 8% of the sample. Interviews gave further insights into social networks in primary care, and about the work style of professional groups. GPs appear to recognise the existance of educational influentials in issues concerning practice management, but not clinical issues. Issues were also raised about the questionnaire design and confidentiality. Secondary Care: Overall response rate was 46%: surgeons 63%, physicans 41%, surgical nurses 51%, medical nurses 31%. 37 opinion leaders were identified, nominated as such by 59% of the sample. There was limited evidence that those nominated had some of the characteristics believed to be typical of opinion leaders. CONCLUSIONS: Response rates in primary care were poor as a result of problems with the concept of opinion leaders, the lack of identifiable social networks, and concerns about the design of the questionnarie. In secondary care surgeons appeared to have the most readily recognisable networks. The response rate of nurses may have been low because of concerns about confidentiality. Further work to establish the feasibility of identifying opinion leaders is required before rigorous evaluation of these interventions are undertaken.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- England
- Evaluation Studies
- Health Services Research
- Identification (Psychology)
- Interviews as Topic
- Leadership
- Nurses
- Physicians, Family
- Population Groups
- Primary Health Care
- Questionnaires
- Research
- Scotland
- hsrmtgs
Other ID:
UI: 102234489
From Meeting Abstracts