%0 Journal Article
%T A qualitative study of stakeholder views of the conditions for and outcomes of successful clinical networks
%A Elizabeth McInnes
%A Sandy Middleton
%A Glenn Gardner
%A Mary Haines
%A Maggie Haertsch
%A Christine L Paul
%A Peter Castaldi
%J BMC Health Services Research
%D 2012
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1472-6963-12-49
%X Twenty-seven participants were interviewed using face-to-face audio-recorded semi-structured interviews. Transcribed data were coded and analysed to generate themes relating to the study aims.Five key factors represented as sub-themes were identified as important conditions for the establishment of successful clinical networks under the main theme of effective network structure, organisation and governance. These were: building relationships; effective leadership; strategic evidence-based workplans; adequate resources; and ability to implement and evaluate network initiatives. Two major themes encapsulated views on desirable outcomes of successful clinical networks: connecting and engaging which represented the outcomes of interdisciplinary and consumer collaboration and, partnerships with state health and local health services, and changing the landscape of care, which represented the importance of outcomes associated with improving services, care and patient health outcomes and implementing evidence-based practice.This study provides new knowledge on the conditions needed to establish successful clinical networks and on desirable outcomes arising from network projects and initiatives that are considered to be valuable by those working in or associated with clinical networks. This provides health services with information on what needs to be in place for successful networks and on the types of outcomes that can be considered for assessing network effectiveness.Internationally, clinical networks have emerged over the last ten years as an important clinician-driven innovation for attaining system-wide improvements in healthcare delivery and patient outcomes [1]. Commonly, the remit of clinical networks is to identify how and where improvements in health service delivery and patient outcomes can be made in the particular specialty represented by the network and to implement changes in association with key government health organisations. Important features of clinical
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/12/49