Disseminating Information throughout the Patient Care Continuum: An Innovative Conceptual Model for Communication

Thursday, 10 July 2008: 3:35 PM
Cecelia L. Crawford, RN, MSN , Regional Nursing Research Program, Kaiser Permanente, Southern California, Pasadena, CA
Regina M. Valdez, MA , Regional Nursing Research Program, Kaiser Permanente, Southern California, Pasadena, CA
Joyce A. Johnson, PhD, RN-BC , Education and Research, Kaiser Permanente Medical Group, Southern California, Pasadena, CA

Learning Objective 1: describe the four components of effective information dissemination.

Learning Objective 2: identify three key strategies necessary for the communication of information.

This presentation examines the development of a conceptual model of communication to disseminate information from the Southern California Kaiser Permanente (KP) Regional Nursing Research Program to various KP entities and beyond. A goal-oriented timetable drove the development, design, and implementation of this nurse-driven model and included: Goal I – Current Communication Methods; Goal II – Potential Strategies for Information Dissemination; Goal III – Communication Model Design; and Goal IV – Communication Model Adoption and Implementation. The structures, processes, and outcomes crucial to each goal are described, as well as resources needed for each goal task. Goal I recognized the need for a communication model, as well as the cataloging of current communication methods used for the spread of information. Goal II identified potential dissemination strategies. Goal III included the formation of a taskforce to facilitate the development of a communication model, as well as the design of the conceptual model itself. The taskforce's first brainstorming session utilized pen and paper to draw a basic concentric “spider web” design. The paper template guided the creation of a graphic model using common software applications. Presented in either a table or a graphic format, the model contains a legend key to understanding the various abbreviations and acronyms seen in both formats. Goal IV involved the adoption and implementation of the communication model by the graphic display of the finalized conceptual model. Finally, an eight-step process exemplified the practical use of the model. Effective dissemination of information requires communication via identified channels, which are contained within an organizational environment, over time, and across the patient care continuum (Rogers, 2003). This presentation emphasizes how a conceptual model identifies and captures essential resources, strategies, and key stakeholders for any type of information dissemination, anywhere in the world.