Communities of influence
Subtitle: improving healthcare through conversations and connections
By: Alison Donaldson, Elizabeth Lank, and Jane Maher ; foreword by Muir Gray
Contributors: Lank, Elizabeth; Maher, Jane, 1953-
Publisher: Radcliffe Pub.
Published: 2011
Place of publication: London; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 190
ISBN-13: 9781846194924
Subjects: Organizational Culture; Cancer Care Facilities; Health planning; Community Networks; Social aspects; Health services accessibility; Delivery of Health Care; Organization & administration; Health care reform; Right to health; Macmillan Cancer Support (Great Britain); Organizational Innovation; Group Processes
Description: Dedicated and hard-working staff at all levels of large healthcare organisations can be frustrated by a perceived inability to influence healthcare priorities. One way of enabling such practitioners to shape and improve services is to bring them together in 'communities of influence'. These are informal groups or networks of committed people who meet regularly to share experiences, develop a collective voice and influence policy and practice at local and national levels. Such 'bottom-up' approaches to change can complement the more conventional management mechanisms widely employed today. Communities of Influence tells the story of how a prominent UK non-profit organisation (Macmillan Cancer Support) has engaged both professionals and patients over the past two decades to improve cancer care. It will stimulate managers and practitioners alike to develop their capacity to work through networks, relationships and conversations in pursuing their objectives. This book will appeal to clinicians and managers responsible for service improvement, as well as public servants, researchers and educators interested in management and organisational change. Publisher's note.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.