Program managers' perspectives on using knowledge to support population health management initiatives in their development towards health and wellbeing systems: a qualitative study

N J E van Vooren; H W Drewes; E de Weger; I M B Bongers; C A Baan

doi:10.1186/s12961-023-01057-8

Program managers' perspectives on using knowledge to support population health management initiatives in their development towards health and wellbeing systems: a qualitative study

Health Res Policy Syst. 2023 Oct 17;21(1):106. doi: 10.1186/s12961-023-01057-8.

Authors

N J E van Vooren^{1

2}, H W Drewes³, E de Weger⁴, I M B Bongers^{5

6}, C A Baan⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Quality of Care and Health Economics, Centre for Nutrition, Prevention and Health Services, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands. natascha.van.vooren@rivm.nl.
² Tilburg School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Tranzo, Tilburg University, PO Box 90153, 5000 LE, Tilburg, The Netherlands. natascha.van.vooren@rivm.nl.
³ Siza, PO Box 532, 6800 AM, Arnhem, The Netherlands.
⁴ Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Athena Instituut, de Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
⁵ Tilburg School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Tranzo, Tilburg University, PO Box 90153, 5000 LE, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
⁶ Mental Health Care Institute Eindhoven, de Kempen, PO Box 909, 5600 AX, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.

Abstract

Background: Population health management (PHM) initiatives are more frequently implemented as a means to tackle the growing pressure on healthcare systems in Western countries. These initiatives aim to transform healthcare systems into sustainable health and wellbeing systems. International studies have already identified guiding principles to aid this development. However, translating this knowledge to action remains a challenge. To help address this challenge, the study aims to identify program managers' experiences and their expectations as to the use of this knowledge to support the development process of PHM initiatives.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were held with program managers of ten Dutch PHM initiatives. These Dutch PHM initiatives were all part of a reflexive evaluation study and were selected on the basis of their variety in focus and involved stakeholders. Program managers were asked about their experiences with, and expectations towards, knowledge use to support the development of their initiative. The interviews with the program managers were coded and clustered thematically.

Results: Three lessons for knowledge use for the development of PHM initiatives were identified: (1) being able to use knowledge regarding the complexity of PHM development requires (external) expertise regarding PHM development and knowledge about the local situation regarding these themes; (2) the dissemination of knowledge about strategies for PHM development requires better guidance for action, by providing more practical examples of actions and consequences; (3) a collective learning process within the PHM initiative is needed to support knowledge being successfully used for action.

Conclusions: Disseminating and using knowledge to aid PHM initiatives is complex due to the complexity of the PHM development itself, and the different contextual factors affecting knowledge use in this development. The findings in this study suggest that for empirical knowledge to support PHM development, tailoring knowledge to only program managers' use might be insufficient to support the initiatives' development, as urgency for change amongst the other involved stakeholders is needed to translate knowledge to action. Therefore, including more partners of the initiatives in knowledge dissemination and mobilization processes is advised.

Keywords: Health systems transformation; Knowledge mobilization; Learning; Population health management.

MeSH terms

Delivery of Health Care
Humans
Learning
Population Health Management*
Qualitative Research