Mobilising cross-sector collaborations to improve population health in US rural communities: a qualitative study

Objectives This study examines types and forms of cross-sector collaborations employed by rural communities to address community health issues and identifies factors facilitating or inhibiting such collaborations.Setting We conducted case studies of four rural communities in the US state of Iowa tha...

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Main Authors: Xi Zhu, Paula Weigel, Jure Baloh, Mochamad Nataliansyah, Nichole Gunn, Keith Mueller
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2019-11-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/11/e030983.full
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author Xi Zhu
Paula Weigel
Jure Baloh
Mochamad Nataliansyah
Nichole Gunn
Keith Mueller
author_facet Xi Zhu
Paula Weigel
Jure Baloh
Mochamad Nataliansyah
Nichole Gunn
Keith Mueller
author_sort Xi Zhu
collection DOAJ
description Objectives This study examines types and forms of cross-sector collaborations employed by rural communities to address community health issues and identifies factors facilitating or inhibiting such collaborations.Setting We conducted case studies of four rural communities in the US state of Iowa that have demonstrated progress in creating healthier communities.Participants Key informants from local public health departments, hospitals and other health-promoting organisations and groups participated in this study. Twenty-two key-informant interviews were conducted. Participants were selected based on their organisation’s involvement in community health initiatives.Results Rural communities used different forms of collaborations, including cross-sector partnership, cross-sector interaction and cross-sector exploration, to address community health issues. Stakeholders from public health, healthcare, social services, education and business sectors were involved. Factors facilitating cross-sector collaborations include health-promoting local contexts, seed initiatives that mobilise communities, hospital visions that embrace broad views of health and shared collaboration leadership and governance. Challenges to developing and sustaining cross-sector collaborations include different institutional logics, financial and human resources constraints and geographic dispersion.Conclusions Rural communities use cross-sector collaborations to address community health issues in the forms of interaction and exploration, but real and lasting partnerships are rare. The development, operation and sustainment of cross-sector collaborations are influenced by a set of contextual and practical factors. Practical strategies and policy interventions may be used to enhance cross-sector collaborations in rural communities.
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spelling doaj-art-e1d219b209f442b1bb1d7a91c4b3d1f42024-11-30T00:55:10ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552019-11-0191110.1136/bmjopen-2019-030983Mobilising cross-sector collaborations to improve population health in US rural communities: a qualitative studyXi Zhu0Paula Weigel1Jure Baloh2Mochamad Nataliansyah3Nichole Gunn4Keith Mueller5Department of Health Policy and Management, Fileding School of Public Health, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA1 College of Public Health, Department of Health Management and Policy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA2 Department of Health Policy and Management, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA1 College of Public Health, Department of Health Management and Policy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA1 College of Public Health, Department of Health Management and Policy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USADepartment of Health Management and Policy, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USAObjectives This study examines types and forms of cross-sector collaborations employed by rural communities to address community health issues and identifies factors facilitating or inhibiting such collaborations.Setting We conducted case studies of four rural communities in the US state of Iowa that have demonstrated progress in creating healthier communities.Participants Key informants from local public health departments, hospitals and other health-promoting organisations and groups participated in this study. Twenty-two key-informant interviews were conducted. Participants were selected based on their organisation’s involvement in community health initiatives.Results Rural communities used different forms of collaborations, including cross-sector partnership, cross-sector interaction and cross-sector exploration, to address community health issues. Stakeholders from public health, healthcare, social services, education and business sectors were involved. Factors facilitating cross-sector collaborations include health-promoting local contexts, seed initiatives that mobilise communities, hospital visions that embrace broad views of health and shared collaboration leadership and governance. Challenges to developing and sustaining cross-sector collaborations include different institutional logics, financial and human resources constraints and geographic dispersion.Conclusions Rural communities use cross-sector collaborations to address community health issues in the forms of interaction and exploration, but real and lasting partnerships are rare. The development, operation and sustainment of cross-sector collaborations are influenced by a set of contextual and practical factors. Practical strategies and policy interventions may be used to enhance cross-sector collaborations in rural communities.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/11/e030983.full
spellingShingle Xi Zhu
Paula Weigel
Jure Baloh
Mochamad Nataliansyah
Nichole Gunn
Keith Mueller
Mobilising cross-sector collaborations to improve population health in US rural communities: a qualitative study
BMJ Open
title Mobilising cross-sector collaborations to improve population health in US rural communities: a qualitative study
title_full Mobilising cross-sector collaborations to improve population health in US rural communities: a qualitative study
title_fullStr Mobilising cross-sector collaborations to improve population health in US rural communities: a qualitative study
title_full_unstemmed Mobilising cross-sector collaborations to improve population health in US rural communities: a qualitative study
title_short Mobilising cross-sector collaborations to improve population health in US rural communities: a qualitative study
title_sort mobilising cross sector collaborations to improve population health in us rural communities a qualitative study
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/11/e030983.full
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