Table 1 Study summary
From: General practice training and virtual communities of practice - a review of the literature
Author | Approach | Brief description | Data Collection | Participants | Statistical analysis | Themes generated by primary data |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Andrew 2009 | Informal case study | Nursing academics online support site iCoP | Analysis of weblog posts | 14 nursing academics | None. | L,O,S,B,M,T |
Booth 2007 | Action research- mixed methods | Constructing evidence-based nursing care guidance for gerontological nurses using CoP and Virtual College | Focus groups, telephone interviews, analysis of online archives and documentary outputs | 58 (30 in first CoP, 28 in second CoP) | None reported. | L,O,S,B,M,T,C |
Brooks 2006 | Case study organizational research | Study of midwives as knowledge workers using online forum (subset of AEC project) | Interviews, focus groups and analysis of online forum postings | 42 participants | Usage, message types- coded by 3 researchers. SPSS gave percentages. | L,S,O,R,M,T,C |
Brooks 2006 | Qualitative study | Assisted Electronic Communication (AEC) project for nurses, using an online forums | 15 interviews and analysis of online forum postings | 44 participants and 193 messages | Communications coded into categories. Percentages presented. Interview data presented | L,S,T,C |
Curran and Murphy | Mixed methods | VCoP of Emergency clinicians in Canada | Online posting analysis and ‘post’ survey | 270 ED clinicians | Percentages and descriptive statistics of content and surveys | L,B,M,T,C |
Falkman 2008* | Mixed methods | SOMWeb, an online CoP for oral surgeons in Sweden | Interview, online message review, meeting observation and survey. | 90 members 24 survey responses, 9 interviews and 10 meetings observed. | Interviews with quotations. | L,O,B,T,C |
Falkman 2008** | Mixed methods | Another paper on SOMWeb – an online CoP for oral surgeons | Online questionnaire and interviews | Not reported | Not reported | L,O,T |
Hara 2007 | Mixed method case study | Listserv for nurses in USA | Analysis of online postings and interviews | 27 interviews | Qualitative review of observations and interviews, descriptive statistics for types of activity and knowledge data. | L,O,R,M,T,C |
Ho 2010 | Project description | Electronic detailing project on diabetes (TEAD) | Description of electronic detailing project, mentions surveys and data collection. | Not reported. No formal data presented | None presented | L,O,B,T,C |
Li 2009 | Systematic review | Review of effectiveness of business and healthcare CoPs | Electronic database search | 18 primary business studies, 13 primary healthcare studies. Qualitative studies. No assessment of quality of studies | Published as a systematic review of qualitative data. No theme counts or statistical analysis | L,O,C |
Nagy 2006 | Case report | An online PACS (radiology system administrator) community | Description of successful project | Site statistics- 2500 members. No formal data. | None. | L,O,R,T,C |
Penn 2005 | Project description | An online suicide prevention site for mental health workers | Description of design and background and some initial findings of ACROSSNet | No data- project description only. | None. | L,O,B,R,T,C |
Perotta 2006 | Qualitative | An online psychology community in Italy | Analysis of online postings | 20 discussion topics with average 12.5 postings. | Theme count and interviewee quotations | O,B,C |
Poissant 2010 | Research protocol | The development of an e-collaborative platform for the Montreal Stroke Network | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | L,O,B,S,T,C |
Poole 2008 | Action research | Women’s Health VCoPs in British Colombia | Outcomes of webinars and description of resulting presentations and materials | Six VCoPs. Total participants not reported. | No formal analysis of outcomes | L,O,S,B,T,C |
Rolls 2008 | Quantitative | Intensive Care Unit clinician network in Australia | Survey study | Online survey. 113 respondents (26% response rate) | Response percentages, total numbers and comment on statistical significance but method not reported | L,O,S,B,T |
Russell 2004 | Qualitative | CHAIN an email based evidence service in the NHS, UK | Posting analysis, feedback both active and unsolicited, interviews | 2800 members, 102 messages and 22 requests in study period. Three focus groups x 15 members each. | None. Feedback examples given. | L,O,S,B,T,C |
Sharma 2006 | Qualitative | Study of an online incident reporting system for anaesthetists in UK | Interviews | 10 respondents, three interviews each | Discussion of interview outcomes. No quotations. No method of interview analysis reported | L,S,R,T,C |
Thomas 2010 | Case study | GAPS project on sharing family planning information for WHO | Moderated discussions analysed as part of case study | 273 members of network. Three moderated forums analyzed. Participant numbers not reported. | Themes from discussions reported. No quotations or theme counts. Methodology of theme generation not reported | L,O,S,B,C |
Tolson 2005 | Qualitative | Nurses used an online forum (Virtual College) for gerontological nursing | Interview study | 15 nurses, 20–30 minutes each interview | Qualitative analysis with methods reported-cognitive mapping performed to generate themes. Five themes generated. | L,O,S,B,R,T,C |
Tolson 2008 | Mixed methods | Review of effect of a Virtual College and CoP on implementation of Best Practice Statements | Focus groups, pre and post intervention audits | 24 nurses. 476 ‘pre’ audits, 344 ‘post’ audits. Focus groups- numbers not reported. | Statistical analysis of audits using t tests. Focus group quotations. | L,O,S,B,R,M,T,C |
Valaitis 2011 | Q methodology | Explored views of nurses using online CoP to support practice in homeless populations. | Online survey and focus groups | 66 statements collected from survey and groups, refined to 44. 16 nurses completed the Q-sort activity | By-person factor analysis of Q-sort. | L,E,T,B |