Communicating the Implementation of Open Notes to Health Care Professionals: Mixed Methods Study

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Communication
• Professional Studies

Background:

• Existing research on organizational reform communication overlooks diverse professional groups.
• This study examines media type and professional responses within organizations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how professional affiliation influences communication media choice and information perception during technical innovation implementation in healthcare.
• To understand the role of profession in adapting to healthcare reforms.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-methods design incorporating observations, participant studies, and surveys of psychiatric healthcare professionals in Sweden.
• Chi-squared (χ2) test used to analyze perception differences across professional groups.

Main Results:

• Communication media usage varied significantly among professions, linked to professional status.
• Information sense-making was consistent across professions but rooted in traditional norms, not reform reflection.
• Professional identity impacted how employees engaged with reform information.

Conclusions:

• Effective communication of technological implementation requires strategies sensitive to both hierarchy and professional diversity.
• A differentiated communication approach is more effective than a simple top-down information cascade.
• Even indirectly affected professionals benefit from tailored communication regarding reforms.