Abstract
Health is a multidisciplinary domain which necessitates experts from diverse backgrounds coming together to effect optimal care delivery for patients. Such a context can benefit by being framed as a knowledge cluster. To illustrate, the case study of a health cluster research group is mapped in terms of ontology. In this way, key relationships and informational exchanges are captured and this in turn can enable more prudent use of critical knowledge assets within the cluster. This ontology is then proffered for the healthcare domain in general as the following discusses.
TopBackground And Literature
We situated this work in the literature of social learning, communities of practice and knowledge management within organizational learning. The social learning aspect of learning was discussed by (Wenger, 1998, 2011), and Lave and Wenger (1991), who describes learning as situations of co-participation.
Communities of practice are said to be different from teams as they are voluntary and are said to remain as long as they have value to their members (Burk, 2000). Burk (1999) further argued that knowledge management is a crucial aspect of communities of practice where communities of practice were part of a knowledge generating cycle.
Ah-Lian and Graham (2012) also discussed communities as practice, describing their shared trusts, beliefs, learned lessons, insights, narratives, anecdotes, and how they provide mechanisms for individual knowledge creation, information coding, and information sharing. In this respect, knowledge creation and organisational epistemology are viewed as social processes, where knowledge comprises experiences of people and is constructed within different contexts and with personal interpretation and reflection (Polanyi, 1962; Von Krogh, Ichijo, & Nonaka, 2000).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Taxonomies: A structured set of names and descriptions used to organize.
Health Ontology: A mapping of the health space to ensure accurate and shared knowledge capture and meaning.
E-Health: Providing healthcare using technology most especially computers.
Community Of Practice: A group of individuals with a shared interest who interact and work together.
Health Knowledge Management: Understanding know what and know how in the healthcare context.