Social network analysis in primary care: The impact of interactions on prescribing behaviour

Abstract Objectives In many healthcare systems of affluent countries, general practitioners (GPs) are encouraged to work in collaborative arrangements to increase patients’ accessibility and the quality of care. There are two lines of thought regarding the ways in which belonging to a network can af...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Health policy (Amsterdam) 2009-10, Vol.92 (2), p.141-148
Main Authors: Fattore, Giovanni, Frosini, Francesca, Salvatore, Domenico, Tozzi, Valeria
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accessibility
Cooperative Behavior
Doctors
Drug Prescriptions
Family
General Practice - organization & administration
General practitioners
Group practice
Health administration
Humans
Interaction patterns
Internal Medicine
Italy
Medical care
National Health Programs - organization & administration
Network analysis
Organizational
Organizational policy
Physicians
Physicians Family Organizational policy Models Organizational Group practice Primary care Social network analysis Prescription Interaction patterns
Practice Patterns, Physicians
Prescribing
Prescription
Primary care
Primary health care
Social capital
Social influence
Social network analysis
Social networks
Social Support
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Summary:Abstract Objectives In many healthcare systems of affluent countries, general practitioners (GPs) are encouraged to work in collaborative arrangements to increase patients’ accessibility and the quality of care. There are two lines of thought regarding the ways in which belonging to a network can affect GP behaviour: (1) the social capital framework posits that, through relationships, individuals acquire resources, such as information, that allow them to perform better; and (2) the social influence framework sees relationships as avenues through which individual actors influence other individuals and through which behavioural norms are developed and enforced. The objective of this study is to provide an evaluation of the effects of GP network organisation on their prescribing behaviour. Methods We used administrative data from a Local Health Authority (LHA) in Italy concerning GPs organisation and prescriptions. Results We found that GPs working in a collaborative arrangement have a similar prescribing behaviour while we did not find a significant relationship between the centrality of a GP and her capability to meet LHA's targets. Conclusions Our data support the conclusion that, in the case of GP collaboration initiatives, the social influence mechanism is more relevant than the social capital mechanism.
ISSN:0168-8510
1872-6054
DOI:10.1016/j.healthpol.2009.03.005