Social Network Analysis as an Analytic Tool for Interaction Patterns in Primary Care Practices
Ann Fam Med Scott et al.
3: 443
The Article in Brief
Social Network Analysis as an analytic tool for interaction patterns in primary care practices
By John Scott, MD, and colleagues
Background:
Social Network Analysis (SNA) is a way of measuring personal relationships. It analyzes patterns of interaction among people in different kinds of networks. This study examined whether SNA can be used to characterize and compare communication patterns in primary care practices.
What this study found:
Although decision-making patterns were very different in the study’s two example practices, the SNA allowed comparison between several aspects of those differences. Because SNA differentiates individuals only by their pattern of interaction, it is not a good tool for measuring how individual differences affect the functioning of an organization.
Implications
• SNA is a useful tool for analyzing the complex systems represented by primary care practices.
• It could be useful in designing programs to promote organizational change in primary care practices.
