Resources and Links about Positive Deviance

image from plexisinstitute.org

Positive deviance is an asset based method of change - find what works well and do more of it. I've been harping on about this for year but now it seems it has its time.  I've curated a list of resources and links in case you want to learn more about this concept.

1. Wikipedia has a decent overview of what PD is about.
2. The PD initiative is a key resource centre which includes an comprehensive set of resources including presentations, videos, books etc. Most importantly is has many case studies of PD in action. 
3. The 7 characteristics of positive deviants I'm not entirely certain about the who of PD being the same as the what, but nonetheless, there are lessons to be learnt from both aspects.
4. Here is a YouTube list of various videos covering different aspects of PD
5. The BMJ had a paper on the topic in 2009 - useful for those who need a bit of theory and credibility to back up what may seem a little "woolly"

A Primer for Bloggers

Chris Brogan has blogged a brief list of things for newbie Bloggers to think through when starting up and maintaining a blog. Good hints and tips in here for healthcare and NHS bloggers.

I like #18 "Inspiration is both a verb and a muscle."

Using Twitter for Rumour Management

Twitter can be used in a zillion ways. I 've been doing some research to help my understanding how it can be used to manage rumours and/or bad news.

When it comes to rumour management, the first step is to pick up the rumours.  Use Google Alerts or similar programs to collect on a daily or weekly basis, comments that are being said about you or your organisation, or product. Use Twitter search to check if you are trending - for the worse... It's no good relying on traditional paper cutting services - the Interest is a hotbed of gossip, much of which never makes it into the printed papers.

The best form of rumour management is prevention.  Make sure there is lots of positive content about yo, your product or your organisation on the Web.  Use facts and details to enhance your credibility. Use Twitter to post content and to link to content. Retweet content which relates positively to you.

When something crops up, contact people directly and engage them in discussion (either on or off the web). Ignore them at your peril.  "Nipping in the bud" is the name of the rumour management game.  Ask your advocates to speak up for you using their social media methods. Remember Twitter is one way you can provide good answers to questions and allow others to see these answers.

If it gets really big, then call in a Crisis Management expert.It's unlikely that in-house communications departments will have the experience and expertise to manage an Internet based communications mess.

Here are some case studies:

• Guardian newspaper article referring to the 2011 London Riots and how Twitter was used to knock-down rumours
• Guardian resources provide various info graphics to show how rumours spread on Twitter - fascinating

7 Twitter Resources for Healthcare Professionals, NHS

If you're just getting started on Twitter, here are some resources you may be interested in:

1. 140 uses for twitter by healthcare - a blog post and one of my favourites. A bit old but still up there with challenges for you
2. Using Twitter in the classroom or organisation - nice framework
3. Canadian booklet on Twitter for Healthcare Professionals; short, sweet and to the point. Recommended.
4. How using twitter can help increase staff transparency and trust - one of my blog posts from a while back
5. Twitter for Doctors - by a doctor, with his experience
6. Pull vs Push; a twitter case study - this is my personal 90 day project from when I first started using Twitter. The lessons then are relevant to anyone starting up now.
7. Using Twitter as a social movements strategy; one of my blog posts from March 2009. Some actions to consider.

5 Program Evaluation Resources

Here is a list of resources you may find useful if you're evaluating a large program.

1. A basic guide to program evaluation has lots of text but it organised into useful headings. Not too long and is good if you're looking for the rationale for carrying out an evaluation.
2. The Evaluation Cookbook is a splendid resource - apart from having a great title. Comprehensive yet not overwhelming. My favourite resource for evaluation.
3. The Evaluation Handbook from the Kellogg Foundation is a meaty text aimed at program managers on their funded programs - though its useful for similar, large scale programs.
4. A User Friendly Handbook for Evaluations is good if you have a scientific bent to your evaluation process.
5. Taking Stock: A Practical Guide to Evaluating your Own Programs is useful if your focus is on carrying out internal evaluations to assess your project work.

NEAR:Narrative Evaluation Action Research - Resource Guide

From "down under" we've got a great resource in the form of a toolkit, including all the background information and evidence, on how to gather healthcare stories that are part of an evaluation process.

It includes case studies (from Victoria, Australia) as comprehensive set of resources with guidance for their use.

You can download the document here (it does take a little while)

The list of resources below is from their Contents page:


"Resource A Initial Department of Human Services narrative guidelines 2002–03 ........ 30
Resource B Revised narrative guidelines 2003–2004 and 2004–2006........................ 31
Resource C Project information resource............................................................... 33
Resource D Annotated bibliography of useful readings ............................................ 38
Resource E An agency reflection on ‘first time’ narratives........................................ 44
Resource F Some questions to guide narrative evaluation ....................................... 47
Resource G What makes a good narrative? ........................................................... 49
Resource H A planner or checklist of questions for narrative action evaluation writers . 52
Resource I Extract – A practitioner reflects on the value of narrative action evaluation 54
Resource J Marjorie Oke and the hydrotherapy story (Vale)..................................... 55
Resource K Map of levels, voices and styles .......................................................... 69
Resource L The Northcote Hydrotherapy case study (extract CDIH collection 1st Edition
 Edition 1988) ............................................................................................... 58
Resource M When training your own trainers (DIY) to extend skills in writing narrative     
action evaluation............................................................................................... 64
Resource N Example of plain language description and consent form (ethics)............. 66
Resource O Supporting narrative evaluation in a community health setting................ 68"

Self Management Support Tools and Resources

Hoorah! We're finally moving from what often feels the patronising approach of "empowering patients" to finding ways to truly be partners in their care process.  There are multiple projects and programs round the world which demonstrate what can be done.  I've put together a list of resources which you may find useful.

1. My favourite are from The Health Foundation. Their package is comprehensive and includes materials for training staff so is excellent for getting the message out there in a practical way. They've also got resources for improving patient skills.

2. The Institute for Improvement has a short guide which is useful if you want to check what you may need to do to get some benefits.

3. There's an excellent write up about the long term conditions collaborative in Scotland where they identify the top high impact changes you can make.

4. Selfmanagement,.co.uk also has resources and it's one of the few places I've seen where there's information on relevant published literature.  In fact, the more I look at this website, the more I feel it is perhaps the most comprehensive and useful...

Do you have any favourite self management support resource links you'd like to share? Please comment below and I'll add to this blog.

Canadian Best Practices Portal - Healthcare

The Public Health Agency of Canada has a very interesting website: Canadian Best Practices Portal.  I think it is an excellent example of helping to spread good practice.

1. It describes interventions (best practices) without overly classifying them. The reader can make their own judgements of value and worth. I also like the way these are summarised as they are written for the reader and not as corporate sales pitches which is a temptation other organisations fall foul of. 
2. The resources have a great at-glance feature which show how they relate to define, search, appraise, synthesise, adapt, implement, evaluate.
3. Their list of systematic review sites is extensive and pitches these best practices as being based on evidence which is both appropriate and welcome for healthcare interventions.

Productivity 8: Where to find ideas for improving productivity in the NHS

This is the 8th in a series of Productivity notes by Sarah Fraser. So where do we find the "no-brainer" ideas for improving productivity in healthcare.

There is no need to start from scratch if you're looking to improve productivity in your organisation, team, ward or practice.  Many have gone before you and many have spent time writing up their experiences so you can learn from their efforts.

This is where I start looking:

1. NHS Library (or any other academic library). DO some proper searches. I do feel that starting on productivity initiatives without doing a couple of hours research is shortsighted.  Google is not enough..
2. NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement; for NHS England there is a lot of information available.  Scotland and Wales I know have similar organisations who gather and share productivity and improvement information. The same is true for most countries which have a public sector health system
3. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement has a great deal of case studies and resources freely available

If I find nothing in the above then I will find another topic to work on. There is so much to learn from what others are doing that can make the productivity process easier that it doesn't feel worth being the one person who decides to design a research project instead of getting on with the change process.

If you have any favourite place to look for productivity ideas then please add a comment to this post.

7 Resources about Social Enterprise

With the decimation of the quangos in the NHS in England there will no doubt be a rush to create a variety of social enterprises to fill the gaps and maintain employment. I have been on a mission to try and understand a bit more about social enterprises and here are a number of links and resources that I found useful.

1. Social Enterprise Coalition (UK) is a good place to start. It is fairly comprehensive and I learnt a lot about what is going on, right now, with regards social enterprise. There is a Health & Social Care forum.
2. If your interest in Social Enterprise is beyond the shores of the UK then Wikipedia has an overview of what it means in different countries.
3. Business Link (UK) has the how to steps if you want to set up a Social Enterprise in the UK
4. Social Enterprise Live is a useful magazine, giving news, resources, blogs and comments on the topic. There is a recent post on how the organisational from will suit the NHS.
5. The Department of Health has a fairly comprehensive guide on social enterprises and health
6. If you are up and running as a Social Enterprise and need support and resources then an excellent place to start is with Social Enterprise Works.
7. The most inspiring, for me, website on Social Enterprise is SE London. Lots of resources, videos and success stories.