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Journal article
Simulating the role of knowledge brokers in policy making in state agencies: An agent-based model
Health services research, v 57 Suppl 1(S1)
Jun 2022
PMID: 35243638
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
To model children's mental health policy making dynamics and simulate the impacts of knowledge broker interventions.
Primary data from surveys (n = 221) and interviews (n = 64) conducted in 2019-2021 with mental health agency (MHA) officials in state agencies.
A prototype agent-based model (ABM) was developed using the PARTE (Properties, Actions, Rules, Time, Environment) framework and informed through primary data collection. In each simulation, a policy is randomly generated (salience weights: cost, contextual alignment, and strength of evidence) and discussed among agents. Agents are MHA officials and heterogenous in their properties (policy making power and network influence) and policy preferences (based on salience weights). Knowledge broker interventions add agents to the MHA social network who primarily focus on the policy's research evidence.
A sequential explanatory mixed method approach was used. Descriptive and regression analyses were used for the survey data and directed content analysis was used to code interview data. Triangulated results informed ABM development. In the ABM, policy makers with various degrees of decision influence interact in a scale-free network before and after knowledge broker interventions. Over time, each decides to support or oppose a policy proposal based on policy salience weights and their own properties and interactions. The main outcome is an agency-level decision based on policy maker support. Each intervention and baseline simulation runs 250 times across 50 timesteps.
Surveys and interviews revealed that barriers to research use could be addressed by knowledge brokers. Simulations indicated that policy decision outcomes varied by policy making context within agencies.
This is the first application of ABM to evidence-informed mental health policy making. Results suggest that the presence of knowledge brokers can: (1) influence consensus formation in MHAs, (2) accelerate policy decisions, and (3) increase the likelihood of evidence-informed policy adoption.
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Details
- Title
- Simulating the role of knowledge brokers in policy making in state agencies: An agent-based model
- Creators
- Todd Combs - Washington University in St. LouisKatherine L Nelson - Drexel UniversityDouglas Luke - Washington University in St. LouisF Hunter McGuire - Washington University in St. LouisGracelyn Cruden - Oregon Social Learning CenterRosie Mae Henson - Drexel UniversityDanielle R Adams - The Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice Chicago Illinois USAKimberly Eaton Hoagwood - New York University Langone Medical CenterJonathan Purtle - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- Health services research, v 57 Suppl 1(S1)
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Grant note
- F31 MH122155 / NIMH NIH HHS P50 MH113662 / NIMH NIH HHS P30 DK092950 / NIDDK NIH HHS
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Health Management and Policy
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000764011300001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85125570150
- Other Identifier
- 991019168741304721
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- Collaboration types
- Industry collaboration
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Health Care Sciences & Services
- Health Policy & Services