Knowledge Transfer: Examining a Public Vaccination Initiative in a Digital Age

This research applies knowledge management principles to examine knowledge transfer in the social marketing of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program for girls and young women. Using focus group research we develop framework to define the domain of health based decision making in young women and develop understanding of constructs in knowledge transfer along the health consumer supply-chain. We find these are the role of trust, the absorptive capacity of the receiver, the medium of the knowledge object and the authority of the figure providing that knowledge. These findings have implications for budgetary support of and accountability for public health knowledge transfer mechanisms.