JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The literature on how to communicate reform in organizations has mainly focused on levels of hierarchy and ignored the variety of professions that may be found within an organization. In this paper we focus on the relation between type of media and professional responses.

Objective:

The objective of this study was to investigate whether and how belonging to a profession influences the choice of communication media, and the perception of information in the implementation of a technical innovation in a health care setting.

Methods:

The paper is based on observations and participant studies as well as a survey of professionals in psychiatric health care in Sweden. Chi2 is used to detect differences in perceptions between professional groups.

Results:

The use of the available communication media differs among the professions. These differences seem to be dependent on the status attached to the profession. The sense-making of the information appears to be similar between the professions, but is based on their traditional professional norms rather than on reflection on the reform at hand.

Conclusions:

In implementing new technology the composition of the personnel needs to be considered in both hierarchical and professional terms when choosing media and message for implementation. This also applies in situations where the personnel only indirectly are affected by the implementation. A differentiated communication strategy is preferred over a downward cascade of information.