Social Network Analysis

What are social networks?
The various people you associate with are your social network. It doesn't matter whether or not you work or go to school, or stay at home to raise your kids, you have a social network. Anyone you associate with and who you share common interests with are in your social network. People in your social network can be from your neighborhood, school, dance class, work, book club, support group, church, children's day care, camp, sports, and even online communities like Facebook. Another word for social network is community.


How can understanding social networks benefit babies and young children with special health care and developmental needs?
All families have people in their social networks that they rely on like babysitters, grandparents, school bus drivers, and their children's friends and their families. Babies and children who have special needs have even more people in their social networks, like physical therapists, pediatricians, early interventionists, social workers, nurses, home visitors, neonatologists, speech therapists, and many more. 

Many times, what families experience is very different from what the professionals in their social network experience. Families often report having to change their already hectic schedules to fit times when doctors can see them, and many times the different doctors seem to be duplicating each others work. Families also report having to relay important information about their child's health between the many different service providers because the the service providers do not communicate to each other.

If everybody involved in the system of care for babies and young children with special health care and developmental needs, families as well as professionals, had a better understanding of who is in their social network and how those people (and organizations) are connected, stress and aggravation experienced by families as well as professionals can be reduced and the children can receive better, more appropriate care.


What is the WONDERbabies social network analysis project about?
With the help of Dr. Danielle Varda and her social network analysis tool called PARTNER, WONDERbabies is looking at relationships within Colorado's system of care for babies and young children with special health care and developmental needs. We first sent an online survey to professionals across the state who work within the system that asks them certain questions about other organizations, agencies, and programs they work with. 

The results of the survey are represented in "network maps" similar to this:

In this diagram, the squares may represent different organizations, agencies, and programs within the system of care for babies and young children with special health care and developmental needs, while the lines connecting them represent the relationships between them.  The size of the squares may vary, depending on the amount of influence the organization is thought to have (by professionals from other organizations who answer the survey), just as the width of the connecting lines may vary, depending on the strength of the relationships (as defined by survey respondents). 

The network maps will provide an idea of who is connected and how they are connected on indicators such as trust, resource exchanges, influence, etc. So far, the survey generated 723 partnerships among 450 stakeholders working together throughout the State.

Next, we will survey families about their experiences receiving services in the system of care. By comparing the network map created from the professionals' perspective to the network map created from the families' perspective, we will learn where in the system there are strengths and gaps, useful relationships and need for relationships, good use of resources and wasteful/redundant use of resources, and ultimately, where there are opportunities for interventions and technical assistance to change the system. 

We plan to do the social network analysis multiple times to track changes in the system over time.  

Questions about the social network analysis project? Please contact us.


 
BACK TO ABOUT US