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The role of tacit knowledge in communication and decision-making during emerging
public health incidents
#MMPMID32834974
Sanford S
; Schwartz B
; Khan Y
Int J Disaster Risk Reduct
2020[Nov]; 50
(?): 101681
PMID32834974
show ga
Strong communication systems for knowledge exchange are required to prevent,
respond to and mitigate the effects of emerging public health incidents (EPHIs).
The objective of this paper is to examine how "tacit knowledge" - implicit
knowledge used to guide everyday practice - is employed in professional
relationships and communication processes between public health and acute care
settings. A qualitative study design was used to explore the experiences of key
informants from public health and acute care settings in Ontario, Canada, to
examine how specific dimensions of tacit knowledge are employed in communications
about EPHIs. Twenty-six in-depth interviews were conducted from 2014 to 2015. The
results describe the way in which participants employ discretion and knowledge of
local context, and rely on relationships built on trust and credibility, to
facilitate decision-making and communication during EPHIs. Given the uncertainty
characterizing most EPHIs, communicators rely a great deal on their informal
knowledge and networks which allow them to remain flexible and respond quickly to
changing situations. The results reveal that communication about public health
guidance during emergencies is a complex and active process that draws from past
experiences of the individuals involved, and is shaped by the requirements of
local circumstances. The broader implications of these findings for building
resilient and responsive health systems are considered. In particular, for
rethinking the authority of standardized forms of evidence in public health
decision-making, and the importance of knowledge which is grounded in the
uniqueness of specific local contexts.