Outcomes of co-designed communities of practice that support members to address public health issues.

Communities of practice are commonly used to support members in responding to public health issues. This study evaluated the outcomes of five co-designed communities of practice to determine if members' expectations were met, if knowledge sharing between members extended to knowledge translation, and if that supported members in addressing public health issues. Data were collected through an initial needs assessment, observations were made during community of practice sessions over 1 year, and qualitative interviews were conducted at the end of that year.

Understanding needs and expectations to start effective communities of practice.

Background: Communities of practice (CoPs) are frequently used in health settings to enhance knowledge and support action around public health issues. Yet, most are ineffective and often at risk of not delivering on this promise. To prevent loss of time and resources by organisations, facilitators, and members, this paper argues for a reliable assessment of the needs of people who intend to join and to set realistic expectations to assure effective communities of practice.

Are communities of practice a way to support health literacy: a study protocol for a realist review.

Introduction: Communities of practice are used for knowledge sharing and learning in health settings. However, more needs to be known to understand how they work, if they work different in different settings and what outcomes they might generate. Of particular interest is their potential role in health literacy development.