Issues in knowledge access, retrieval and sharing – Case studies in a Caribbean health sector

In knowledge sharing forums different actors access each others knowledge to assist in their own decision making process. However, in absence of a formal knowledge management system this knowledge may not be available for use/reuse. In this research, we explore different scenarios in the healthcare sector to identify the factors which either facilitate or impede the knowledge flows while sharing knowledge. Furthermore, based on the analysis of the scenarios we theorize about use and reuse of knowledge items and the issues in accessing and retrieving them in knowledge sharing events. The barriers and enablers in different case studies are identified which can be applicable to any knowledge sharing event where its actors are working towards a common objective. We examine the patterns of accessibility of a knowledge item in knowledge sharing events and its effect on perceived usability, and perceived usefulness and relevance of a knowledge item.