  Case study
What drives knowledge seeking, sharing, and use among family planning professionals?
PARTNER
Global Health: Science and Practise
SECTOR
Health
PROJECT TYPE
Field and Lab Experiments
BEHAVIORAL THEME
Choice | Knowledge management | Cognitive overload
OVERVIEW
In this study we identify choice overload and cognitive overload as the two barriers faced by healthcare professionals in seeking and using information. We then suggest that innovative methods that allow individuals to create their own centralized database, or portals with relevant and timely data should be developed to address these barriers. This approach can help mitigate the challenges associated with information overload and improve information utilization in healthcare settings.
Positive knowledge management (KM) cultures within organizations play a crucial role in facilitating effective information sharing. However, the reluctance to share information persists due to concerns about losing a competitive advantage. To overcome this, family planning and global health programs share practical and actionable information, including contextual details and implementation strategies. Additionally, a mix of KM approaches should be employed to encourage transparent dialogue, build trust, and facilitate easy information sharing through familiar platforms and formats.
By reducing cognitive and choice overload and promoting the sharing of practical information, KM interventions in family planning and global health can enhance program impact. It also suggests using incentives to motivate professionals to share relevant information, thereby fostering knowledge exchange and advancement in the field.
