Communities of practice for implementing methods to reduce involuntary care in intellectual disability care: Insights from tacit and experiential knowledge exchange

Background
Intellectual disability organisations in the Netherlands are seeking to improve clients’ quality of care by implementing methods that reduce involuntary care. This study described insights gained from sharing tacit and experiential implementation knowledge in Communities of Practice (CoP).

Method
In a participatory research, managers, policymakers, experts-by-experience, support staff, and researchers participated in two CoP. Transcripts of the first meetings, focusing on tacit implementation knowledge and experiences in intellectual disability care, were analysed qualitatively.

Results
Six themes and nine subthemes were found. One related to implementing methods in line with the Care and Coercion Act. Other themes were the quality of care dilemma, implementation determinants, organisational context, change in organisational culture, and implementation plans and strategies.

Discussions
Findings reveal insights regarding the impact of implementing methods that reduce involuntary care on care professionals, management, and organisations. Through thinking together, CoP participants collectively learned about implementing methods in intellectual disability care.