ArticleImplementation science : IS2011
A realist evaluation of the role of communities of practice in changing healthcare practice.
Article in Implementation science : IS, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 53 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
53 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- A systematic review of electronic audit and feedback: intervention effectiveness and use of behaviour change theory.Implementation science : IS · 2017Pooled it
- How and why are communities of practice established in the healthcare sector? A systematic review of the literature.BMC health services research · 2011Pooled it
- Seeding Structures for a Community of Practice Focused on Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA): Implementing Across Disciplines and Waves.Journal of general internal medicine · 2021Trial
- Trial
- Integration of robotic surgery into routine practice and impacts on communication, collaboration, and decision making: a realist process evaluation protocol.Implementation science : IS · 2014Trial
- A Virtual Community of Practice to Improve Primary Health Care Professionals' Attitudes Toward Patient Empowerment (e-MPODERA): A Cluster Randomized Trial.Annals of family medicineTrial
- Building Capacity for Rigorous Health Research Through Grant Writing Coaching.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Optimizing Digital Solutions to Improve Access to Comprehensive Primary Health Care Services in Remote Indigenous Communities: Protocol for a Participatory Action Research Project.JMIR research protocols · 2025Article
- Evaluating a Virtual Community-of-Practice as Implementation Strategy for the Needs Assessment Framework in Intellectual Disability Care: A Quasi-Experimental Multi-Methods Study.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARID · 2025Article
- Bridging the gap: a qualitative process evaluation from the perspectives of healthcare professionals of an audit-and-feedback-based intervention to improve transition to adult care for young people living with type 1 diabetes.BMC health services research · 2024Article
- Communities of practice for implementing methods to reduce involuntary care in intellectual disability care: Insights from tacit and experiential knowledge exchange.Journal of intellectual & developmental disability · 2024Article
- Driving innovation in health care: exploring the impact of ambidextrous leadership on creative performance among frontline health professionals in Norway.BMC health services research · 2024Article
- Exploring value creation in a virtual community of practice: a framework analysis for knowledge and skills development among primary care professionals.BMC medical education · 2024Article
- Using digital platforms to promote a healthcare provider community of practice for abortion care in Uganda.Reproductive health · 2023Article
- Understanding needs and expectations to start effective communities of practice.BMC health services research · 2023Article
- Exploring the evidence base for Communities of Practice in health research and translation: a scoping review.Health research policy and systems · 2023Article
- Collaboration for Developing and Sustaining Community Dementia-Friendly Initiatives: A Realist Evaluation.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Optimising the process of knowledge mobilisation in Communities of Practice: recommendations from a (multi-method) qualitative study.Implementation science communications · 2023Article
- Protecting healthcare workers during a pandemic: what can a WHO collaborating centre research partnership contribute?Revista panamericana de salud publica = Pan American journal of public health · 2023Article
- The challenges of decolonising participatory research in indigenous contexts: theInternational journal of circumpolar health · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundHealthcare organisations seeking to manage knowledge and improve organisational performance are increasingly investing in communities of practice (CoPs). Such investments are being made in the absence of empirical evidence demonstrating the impact of CoPs in improving the delivery of healthcare. A realist evaluation is proposed to address this knowledge gap. Underpinned by the principle that outcomes are determined by the context in which an intervention is implemented, a realist evaluation is well suited to understand the role of CoPs in improving healthcare practice. By applying a realist approach, this study will explore the following questions: What outcomes do CoPs achieve in healthcare? Do these outcomes translate into improved practice in healthcare? What are the contexts and mechanisms by which CoPs improve healthcare?
methodsThe realist evaluation will be conducted by developing, testing, and refining theories on how, why, and when CoPs improve healthcare practice. When collecting data, context will be defined as the setting in which the CoP operates; mechanisms will be the factors and resources that the community offers to influence a change in behaviour or action; and outcomes will be defined as a change in behaviour or work practice that occurs as a result of accessing resources provided by the CoP. DISCUSSION: Realist evaluation is being used increasingly to study social interventions where context plays an important role in determining outcomes. This study further enhances the value of realist evaluations by incorporating a social network analysis component to quantify the structural context associated with CoPs. By identifying key mechanisms and contexts that optimise the effectiveness of CoPs, this study will contribute to creating a framework that will guide future establishment and evaluation of CoPs in healthcare.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.