Table 3 Definition of key network and organisation metrics.
Metric | Definition and mental health system interpretation |
|---|---|
Network metrics | |
Density | Ratio of the number of connections to the number of possible connections in the network. A dense network indicates that organisations are well-connected and information/resources flow rapidly between them |
Average degree | Average number of relationships in the network. Like density, this assumes that more connections indicate greater information/resource flow between organisations |
Average distance | Number of connections that separate two organisations, whereby an average distance of 1 indicates that all organisations are directly connected |
Degree centralisation | Ratio of the sum of the differences in centrality between the most central organisation and all other organisations in the network to the largest possible sum of these differences. Higher values indicate a more centralised network |
Organisation metrics | |
In-degree centrality | Number of direct connections an organisation has with other organisations as reported by partnering organisations. A measure of the importance of each organisation. Identifies which organisations act as stewards organisations in the network |
Betweenness | Extent that an organisation is located on the path between other organisations (indirect connections). The extent that an organisation is a bridge between other organisations |