The Information Flow of the Sistema Nacional de Transplantes (National Transplant System): A Social Network Analysis

Abstract

This project, submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for a Master's in Information Science (IS), uses the Social Network Analysis method to analyse the exchange of information among the National Transplantation Coordination System (Coordenação-Geral do Sistema Nacional de Transplantes; NTCS), the National Transplant Centre (Central Nacional de Transplantes; NTC) and the Organ Notification, Harvesting and Distribution Centres (Centrais de Notificação, Captação e Distribuição de Órgãos; CNCDO) to determine the structure of the National Transplant System's (Sistema Nacional de Transplantes; NTS) social network. Interviews and electronic questionnaires were used to determine the information flow channels used by the NTS to establish its social network. The leaders of the NTCS and NTS and the informal leaders of the Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Norte, São Paulo and Ceará states were identified using the Social Network Analysis approach to ascertain the relevant metrics. The results showed that the network structure and distribution did not provide the necessary conditions for a uniform and continuous information flow that would promote the advancement of scientific and technical knowledge at the NTS.