BMJ  2004;328 (15 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7449.0-d

Soft networks close the gap between research and practice

An informal email network may improve the knowledge for evidence based health care and encourage communication between specialties. Analysing the activity of CHAIN (Contact, Help, Advice and Information Network for Effective Health Care, an informal email network for people working in health care), Russell and colleagues (p 1174) found that members were able to improve cross-professional contact and share innovation, good practice, and research ideas. Soft networking enables knowledge for evidence based health care to be personalised and made meaningful through informal social interaction, say the authors, and skilled staff can encourage a strong culture of support and reciprocity.

Credit: CUSTOM MEDICAL STOCK/SPL

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Soft networks for bridging the gap between research and practice: illuminative evaluation of CHAIN

Jill Russell, Trisha Greenhalgh, Petra Boynton, and Marcia Rigby
BMJ 2004 328: 1174. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]