Collaboration and communication strategies : a content analysis

The problem of this study was to identify collaboration strategies, communication strategies, and barriers to collaboration through examining the strategies utilized by the American Red Cross Statewide HIV/AIDS Networks (SWANs). A cross-sectional, content analysis of documents from 41 American Red Cross SWANs was conducted. The collaborative strategies were catalogued utilizing five levels of collaborative involvement. Communication strategies used by the SWANs and barriers to collaboration were also analyzed. Frequencies and percentages of utilization by the S WANs were calculated. A chi-square test was used to compare the lower and higher levels of collaborative involvement and was found to be statistically significant (p < .05). The identified strategies and barriers can provide a database from which other groups involved in collaboration can select. Descriptive strategy examples are included.