Experiences with Knowledge Management for Health Promotion: The Follow-up Study via Story Telling Among the Elder Leaders

Abstract

Knowledge management is the process of creating, sharing, using and managing knowledge and information in an organization. Older people have had a lot of life experiences. The aims of this descriptive qualitative study were to describe the meaning of knowledge, the knowledge management process, and the factors that promote or hinder the knowledge management process, from the perspective of older leaders. Twenty-seven older leaders at Klong Luang Municipality Community, who passed the knowledge management  program, participated in the study. Focus group and individual in-depth interviews were conducted and tape-recorded, and the data were transcribed and analyzed using content analysis. The results were as follows: 1) Meaning of knowledge; can be built, practical, beneficial, 2) Knowledge management process; directed experiences. 3) Factors that enhance the knowledge management process; supporting facilities, and good relationships, and 4) Barriers to knowledge management process; lack of health-awareness and self-discipline. The findings of this study provide opportunities for nurses and health care teams to promote knowledge and knowledge management processes in health promotion, in order to use the wisdom of elders for the sustainable health development of
their community.