Faculty Collaboration Database

Mobilising cross-sector collaborations to improve population health in US rural communities: a qualitative study. BMJ Open 2019 Nov 06;9(11):e030983

Date

11/09/2019

Pubmed ID

31699729

Pubmed Central ID

PMC6858126

DOI

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-030983

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85074708656 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   12 Citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study examines types and forms of cross-sector collaborations employed by rural communities to address community health issues and identifies factors facilitating or inhibiting such collaborations.

SETTING: We conducted case studies of four rural communities in the US state of Iowa that have demonstrated progress in creating healthier communities.

PARTICIPANTS: Key informants from local public health departments, hospitals and other health-promoting organisations and groups participated in this study. Twenty-two key-informant interviews were conducted. Participants were selected based on their organisation's involvement in community health initiatives.

RESULTS: Rural communities used different forms of collaborations, including cross-sector partnership, cross-sector interaction and cross-sector exploration, to address community health issues. Stakeholders from public health, healthcare, social services, education and business sectors were involved. Factors facilitating cross-sector collaborations include health-promoting local contexts, seed initiatives that mobilise communities, hospital visions that embrace broad views of health and shared collaboration leadership and governance. Challenges to developing and sustaining cross-sector collaborations include different institutional logics, financial and human resources constraints and geographic dispersion.

CONCLUSIONS: Rural communities use cross-sector collaborations to address community health issues in the forms of interaction and exploration, but real and lasting partnerships are rare. The development, operation and sustainment of cross-sector collaborations are influenced by a set of contextual and practical factors. Practical strategies and policy interventions may be used to enhance cross-sector collaborations in rural communities.

Author List

Zhu X, Weigel P, Baloh J, Nataliansyah M, Gunn N, Mueller K

Author

Mochamad M. Nataliansyah MD, PhD Assistant Professor in the Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Aged
Cooperative Behavior
Health Services Needs and Demand
Humans
Iowa
Middle Aged
Public Health
Qualitative Research
Rural Health Services
Rural Population
Social Determinants of Health