From: Communities of practice in Alberta Health Services: advancing a learning organisation
Membership boundary categories | CoPs in cohort (n = 28) | Basis of categories | Sample membership descriptions |
---|---|---|---|
Unrestricted | 4 | Members are part of the practice community based on subject-matter interest and/or expertise and may include non-AHS staff (i.e. not bound by role, geographic boundaries or confidentiality restrictions) | “… open to anyone, we’re a very eclectic group … positions where people are directors, experts in change management, non-experts interested change management, and professional groups.” |
Restricted by domain and role | 10 | Membership is characterised by being practice and role centred | “… open to those in our [lead] roles to establish a network for best practices.” |
Restricted by domain and geography | 6 | Membership associated with geographic boundaries (e.g. site, zone based) and role-based requirements | “… open to all acute care, all direct service staff who have palliative care interactions with patients and families and aren’t specialized. It’s inter-professional and it’s specific to our site.” |
Restricted by role and confidentiality | 8 | For privacy considerations, membership is strictly bounded by staff roles (e.g. associated with sharing identifiable patient information) or practice-specific patient information | “… open only to those in our [particular] role as we discuss patient [related] information.” |