Inter-agency Information Sharing in Health and Social Care Services: The Role of Professional Culture

Abstract

Sue Richardson is now a research student in the School of Sociology, Politics and Law, University of Plymouth. Sue has conducted university-based research into organizational behaviour for more than 25 years. Having researched partnership working in the Plymouth Health Action Zone as a research fellow with the University of Plymouth, she has now been awarded a studentship from the Economic and Social Research Council to investigate information-sharing issues in health and social care partnerships. Sheena Asthana is Professor of Health Policy at the University of Plymouth. Among her research interests is a focus on the role of partnership working and community involvement in the planning and delivery of health and social exclusion projects. She has directed research evaluating the role of partnership working in a wide range of local projects including those targeting vulnerable children and young people, older people, disadvantaged communities and service access problems. Summary This article uses a literature review to examine the ways in which professional culture might shape inter-organizational exchange of personal information in a health and social care context. The aim is to explore a simplified model of possible informationsharing behaviours (‘ideal’, ‘over-open’, ‘over-cautious’ and ‘chaotic’) and to suggest that patterns of information sharing may be influenced by a number of factors. It is proposed that these factors include not only inter-professional differences in the approach taken to information sharing but also the ways in which the professions interrelate.