The research aimed to pro-activeiy embark in an internal transformation process, in order to improve efficiency of the Social Work Department of Gauteng Medical Command of the South African Military Health Service. Participatory action research as a qualitative research design was- used. The intervention identification process was implemented as a problem-solving technique to direct the process of transformation-change. The research was conducted by a research group often social workers from the South African National Defence Force. The results of the research were the implementation of interventions on identified systems, namely the service delivery system and the performance management system of the Social Work Department of Gauteng Medical Command. The use of particpatorv action research as a process to address problems in an organisation was confirmed. The contribution of the participatory action process to process outcomes, such as empowerment and learning, was also indicated in the findings. / Social Work / MA(SS) (Mental Health)

The research aimed to pro-activeiy embark in an internal transformation process, in order to improve efficiency of the Social Work Department of Gauteng Medical Command of the South African Military Health Service. Participatory action research as a qualitative research design was- used. The intervention identification process was implemented as a problem-solving technique to direct the process of transformation-change. The research was conducted by a research group often social workers from the South African National Defence Force. The results of the research were the implementation of interventions on identified systems, namely the service delivery system and the performance management system of the Social Work Department of Gauteng Medical Command. The use of particpatorv action research as a process to address problems in an organisation was confirmed. The contribution of the participatory action process to process outcomes, such as empowerment and learning, was also indicated in the findings. / Social Work / MA(SS) (Mental Health)

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / A study design has been developed that employs a dual modeling approach to identify factors associated with facility-level cancer screening improvement and how this is mediated by the use of clinical decision support. This dual modeling approach combines principles of (1) Health Informatics, (2) Cancer Prevention and Control, (3) Health Services Research, and (4) Organizational Change/Theory. The study design builds upon the constructs of a conceptual framework developed by Jane Zapka, namely, (1) organizational and/or practice settings, (2) provider characteristics, and (3) patient population characteristics. These constructs have been operationalized as measures in a 2005 HRSA/NCI Health Disparities Cancer Collaborative inventory of 44 community health centers. The first, statistical models will use: sequential, multivariable regression models to test for the organizational determinants that may account for the presence and intensity-of-use of clinical decision support (CDS) and information systems (IS) within community health centers for use in colorectal, breast, and cervical cancer screening. A subsequent test will assess the impact of CDS/IS on provider reported cancer screening improvement rates. The second, computational models will use a multi-agent model of network evolution called CONSTRUCT® to identify the agents, tasks, knowledge, groups, and beliefs associated with cancer screening practices and CDS/IS use to inform both CDS/IS implementation and cancer screening intervention strategies. This virtual experiment will facilitate hypothesis-generation through computer simulation exercises. The outcome of this research will be to identify barriers and facilitators to improving community health center facility-level cancer screening performance using CDS/IS as an agent of change. Stakeholders for this work include both national and local community health center IT leadership, as well as clinical managers deploying IT strategies to improve cancer screening among vulnerable patient populations.