Exploring the use of social network methods in designing healthcare quality improvement teams

► Social network analysis can provides principles for the design of more effective healthcare quality improvement teams ► Connections of team members outside the team may be most important for dissemination of information or influence ► Connections of team members inside the team may be most important for within-team coordination, knowledge sharing and communication ► Sociometric measures such as net degree may identify teams of inpatient physicians most likely to be effective in quality improvement