摘要：Objectives. We explored and analyzed how findings from public affairs research can inform public health research and practice, specifically in the area of interorganizational collaboration, one of the most promising practice-based approaches in the public health field. Methods. We conducted a systematic review of the public affairs literature by following a grounded theory approach. We coded 151 articles for demographics and empirical findings (n = 258). Results. Three primary findings stand out in the public affairs literature: network structure affects governance, management strategies exist for administrators, and collaboration can be linked to outcomes. These findings are linked to priorities in public health practice. Conclusions. Overall, we found that public affairs has a long and rich history of research in collaborations that offers unique organizational theory and management tools to public health practitioners. One of the most promising practice-based approaches in public health is the development of interorganizational partnerships as a way to attain resources, share knowledge, and thus improve population health outcomes. 1 Partnerships of community agencies, public and private institutions, and concerned citizens have formed around many public health issues. 2 These partnerships are built on the principle that poor health stems from many factors and that amelioration requires a multisystemic approach. 3 Considered to be one of the 10 essential public health services, the mobilization of community partnerships that identify and address health problems 4 has become a critical function of successful health departments. These collaborations focus on a range of issues, from the specific and local to broad, fundamental social determinants. 5 – 8 New public health approaches are being developed to appropriately assess how an array of diverse partners are collectively and systematically addressing complex public health problems and population health goals. 9 Despite this rise of collaborative practice in public health, empirical evidence in the public health literature to support, guide, and inform practice is lacking. This is not surprising because evidence-based studies in public health are typically epidemiological, yielding risk factors for disease and determining optimal treatment approaches. Such research has been the cornerstone of the field, but the public health literature is slowly growing to include systems research, which emphasizes complex and nested features of the organizational, economic, and policy issues that health departments must address to tackle current challenges. 10 This growth in collaboration and partnership literature is slow and in large part is conducted in isolation from studies conducted in other—yet related—fields. Butterfoss et al. draw 2 conclusions about partnerships in public health: partnerships are increasingly popular strategies for addressing problems that are difficult to solve alone, and yet not enough empirical evidence exists to demonstrate their effectiveness. 5 Much of the literature on collaboration and partnerships within and among sectors comes from the field of public affairs. Public affairs, with its focus on policy, management, and administration of public agencies, is uniquely suited to inform public health efforts. The common goal of both disciplines to solve public-sector organizational, personnel, and policy dilemmas suggests a bridge between them that has yet to be developed and examined. Characteristics of public affairs lend themselves to a framework for empirical applications in public health because of similarities in organizational bureaucratic structuring, public-good outcomes, and performance-based outcomes. Although many disciplines are experimenting with networking, collaboration, and participatory problem-solving, most do not explore or incorporate research or experiences outside their specific focus or discipline, and most partnerships are intra- rather than interdisciplinary. 11 We conducted a systematic literature review and analysis to explore how the findings from public affairs research can inform public health research and practice, specifically in the growing area of collaboration and partnerships.
