TY - JOUR
T1 - The impacts of relational organizing for health system and community collaboration
T2 - Early evidence from a rapid multisite qualitative study
AU - Tuepker, Anaïs
AU - Johnson, Amanda
AU - Manriquez, Luis
AU - Park, Susan
AU - Erin, Rohanna
AU - Zinler, Katie Ashmore
AU - Sciammas, Chloe Liliane
AU - Lacayo, Benjamin A.
AU - Park, Brian
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors. Health Services Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Health Research and Educational Trust. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.
PY - 2024/2
Y1 - 2024/2
N2 - Objective: To understand the ways relational organizing practices impacted collaborations between independent or health system-affiliated community health clinics, public health offices, and community groups during the early COVID-19 pandemic. Data Sources and Study Setting: Between November 2020 and June 2021, we interviewed clinical and public health workers, clinic-based community organizers, and staff and volunteers at community organizations who participated in three COVID-19 response collaborations in the Northwestern United States. Study Design: This was a qualitative study employing participatory and rapid data collection and analysis methods. Data Collection: Research team members invited key participants in organizing efforts to a semi-structured virtual interview conducted by an independent health services researcher. A sensemaking team that included project participants analyzed interview data using an iterative, thematic approach and conducted a ripple effect mapping exercise to supplement interview data. A total of 19 people contributed data for analysis. Analysis was guided by the underlying research questions: whether and how relational organizing practices contributed to successful collaboration, and what challenges were encountered. Principal Findings: Relational organizing was perceived to contribute to multiple positive project outcomes, including greater self-efficacy in a time of crisis and enhanced sense of connection; these outcomes contributed to a sense of successful collaboration. Four mechanisms were identified that explained relational organizing's collaborative efficacy: (1) mobilizing existing relationships for rapid community engagement; (2) bringing concrete skills for enhancing trust among cross-sector partners; (3) recognizing and addressing power dynamics; and (4) creating vehicles for exercising collective community power. Lack of trust and unsurfaced power dynamics were perceived as common challenges to sustained collaboration, which relational organizing could sometimes mitigate. Conclusions: Our findings suggest relational organizing practices can be protective against common “pain points” faced by cross-sectoral partnerships, especially in times of crisis. Further piloting of clinic-based relational organizing is recommended, as is research on longer-term impacts.
AB - Objective: To understand the ways relational organizing practices impacted collaborations between independent or health system-affiliated community health clinics, public health offices, and community groups during the early COVID-19 pandemic. Data Sources and Study Setting: Between November 2020 and June 2021, we interviewed clinical and public health workers, clinic-based community organizers, and staff and volunteers at community organizations who participated in three COVID-19 response collaborations in the Northwestern United States. Study Design: This was a qualitative study employing participatory and rapid data collection and analysis methods. Data Collection: Research team members invited key participants in organizing efforts to a semi-structured virtual interview conducted by an independent health services researcher. A sensemaking team that included project participants analyzed interview data using an iterative, thematic approach and conducted a ripple effect mapping exercise to supplement interview data. A total of 19 people contributed data for analysis. Analysis was guided by the underlying research questions: whether and how relational organizing practices contributed to successful collaboration, and what challenges were encountered. Principal Findings: Relational organizing was perceived to contribute to multiple positive project outcomes, including greater self-efficacy in a time of crisis and enhanced sense of connection; these outcomes contributed to a sense of successful collaboration. Four mechanisms were identified that explained relational organizing's collaborative efficacy: (1) mobilizing existing relationships for rapid community engagement; (2) bringing concrete skills for enhancing trust among cross-sector partners; (3) recognizing and addressing power dynamics; and (4) creating vehicles for exercising collective community power. Lack of trust and unsurfaced power dynamics were perceived as common challenges to sustained collaboration, which relational organizing could sometimes mitigate. Conclusions: Our findings suggest relational organizing practices can be protective against common “pain points” faced by cross-sectoral partnerships, especially in times of crisis. Further piloting of clinic-based relational organizing is recommended, as is research on longer-term impacts.
KW - COVID-19 pandemic
KW - community participation
KW - cross-sectoral collaboration
KW - participatory research
KW - qualitative research
KW - relational organizing
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U2 - 10.1111/1475-6773.14256
DO - 10.1111/1475-6773.14256
M3 - Article
C2 - 38062626
AN - SCOPUS:85178879347
SN - 0017-9124
VL - 59
JO - Health Services Research
JF - Health Services Research
IS - S1
M1 - e14256
ER -