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Table 3 Proposed health VCoP framework

From: General practice training and virtual communities of practice - a review of the literature

Probst’s business CoP framework

Proposed health VCoP framework

Leadership

Facilitation

The organisation can designate leadership roles to motivate community members to collaborate

Facilitators promote engagement and maintain community standards

Sponsorship

Champion and Support

Senior executives need to provide sponsorship to help communities reach their full potential

The network needs to have an initial stakeholder champion, with stakeholder support

Objectives and Goals

Objectives and Goals

Clear objectives provide members with responsibilities and motivates them to contribute more actively

Clear objectives provide members with responsibilities and motivates them to contribute more actively

Boundary Spanning

A Broad Church

Boundary spanning enables members to engage in internal and external benchmarking practices

Consider involving different, overlapping but not competing, professional groups, different organisations and external experts. However make sure the church is not too broad....

Risk-free environment

Supportive environment

COPs should be used as an especially valuable opportunity to express and test ideas in an informal and risk-free environment, thus requiring a strong degree of safety and ntimacy between members

Health VCOPs should promote a supportive and positive culture that is both safe for members, and encouraging of participation

Measurements

Measurement, Benchmarking and Feedback

Empirical evidence suggests the use of measurements to assess the value of communities of practice

Health VCoPs should consider measurement as a factor in their design, including benchmarking and feedback

 

Technology and Community

Online CoPs should ensure ease of use and access, along with asynchronous communication. Other options including chat and meetings can also be considered, along with the need for training.

Communities are more likely to share knowledge when there is a mixture of online and face-to-face meetings, members self select, and both passive and active users are encouraged.