ERIC Number: EJ1139006
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017-Apr
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1090-1981
EISSN: N/A
Identifying Synergies in Multilevel Interventions: The Convergence Strategy
Lewis, Megan A.; Fitzgerald, Tania M.; Zulkiewicz, Brittany; Peinado, Susana; Williams, Pamela A.
Health Education & Behavior, v44 n2 p236-244 Apr 2017
Social ecological models of health often describe multiple levels of influence that interact to influence health. However, it is still common for interventions to target only one or two of these levels, perhaps owing in part to a lack of guidance on how to design multilevel interventions to achieve optimal impact. The convergence strategy emphasizes that interventions at different levels mutually reinforce each other by changing patterns of interaction among two or more intervention audiences; this strategy is one approach for combining interventions at different levels to produce synergistic effects. We used semistructured interviews with 65 representatives in a cross-site national initiative that enhanced health and outcomes for patients with diabetes to examine whether the convergence strategy was a useful conceptual model for multilevel interventions. Using a framework analysis approach to analyze qualitative interview data, we found three synergistic themes that match the convergence strategy and support how multilevel interventions can be successful. These three themes were (1) enhancing engagement between patient and provider and access to quality care; (2) supporting communication, information sharing, and coordination among providers, community stakeholders, and systems; and (3) building relationships and fostering alignment among providers, community stakeholders, and systems. These results support the convergence strategy as a testable conceptual model and provide examples of successful intervention strategies for combining multilevel interventions to produce synergies across levels and promote diabetes self-management and that may extend to management of other chronic illnesses as well.
Descriptors: Models, Health, Intervention, Semi Structured Interviews, Patients, Diabetes, Physician Patient Relationship, Health Services, Self Management, Chronic Illness, Stakeholders, Outcomes of Treatment, American Indian Reservations, Cooperation, Qualitative Research
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Texas (Dallas); Illinois (Chicago); Wyoming; Tennessee (Memphis); New Jersey
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A