Background:
The Toronto Stroke Networks (TSNs) Virtual Community of Practice (VCoP) was developed to connect stroke healthcare providers (HCPs), enhance professional and organizational stroke expertise, foster implementation of best practices, and improve patient outcomes in stroke care. The VCoP is a secure social media platform fostering cross system interprofessional collaboration (IPC).
Purpose:
To use formative developmental evaluation to inform further improvement of the VCoP’s content and performance and to measure its efficacy as a KT tool to support IPC.
Methods:
An evaluation framework was developed based on “Promoting and assessing value creation in communities and networks” (Wengar, 2011). Stroke HCPs from 15 organizations in the TSNs were provided VCoP training to build virtual competence and to seek feedback for enhanced utility. The TSNs Education and KT Implementation Plan for 2013-2014 integrated activities that encourage VCoP use. These activities include co-development of educational material across sites, information sharing between meetings, and to support implementation of specific activities. Qualitative (e.g. value stories, narratives) and quantitative indicators (e.g. membership and usage) data are evaluated.
Results:
The TSNs VCoP currently has: 287 members and 26 groups (open and private groups with 4-19 members). There are 8 interprofessional discussions, with a total of 20 pre-populated and requested forums. Feedback from the membership has prompted investments to improve search features and identification of members within the site for more efficient collaborations. Uploading of Provincial Stroke Rounds, provision of a Research and Knowledge Translation Widget, and securing a space for HCPs to submit recommended presentations were added to increase the value-add of the site as a one-stop shop for Stroke HCPs seeking stroke care information. Qualitative analysis of value stories demonstrating the efficacy of the VCoP for IPC is in progress and will be available at time of publishing.
Conclusions:
The VCoP is an innovative approach to enhancing the system of stroke care. This formative developmental evaluation approach has enhanced the utility of the VCoP as a source for stroke information and HCP connections.
Perceptions of Family Physician Trainees and Trainers Regarding the Usefulness of a Virtual Community of Practice
