Lessons from transforming health services delivery: Compendium of initiatives in the WHO European Region

In order for health services delivery to accelerate gains in health outcomes it must continuously adapt and evolve according to the changing health landscape. At present, the case for change is compelling. In the context of both new challenges and opportunities, initiatives to transform services delivery across the WHO European Region has emerged. This Compendium demonstrates the diversity in activity, describing examples of health services delivery transformations from each Member State in the Region. The initiatives vary greatly in their scope and stages of implementation, from early changes to initiatives at-scale. When taken together, these examples offer unique insights for setting-up, implementing and sustaining transformations. A summary of 10 lessons learned attempts to synthesize key findings and consolidate insights derived from experiences.

Operationalizing mHealth to improve patient care: a qualitative implementation science evaluation of the WelTel texting intervention in Canada and Kenya

Mobile health (mHealth) applications have proliferated across the  globe with much enthusiasm, although few have reached scale and shown public health impact. In this study, they explored how different contextual factors influenced the implementation, effectiveness and potential for scale-up of welTel, an easy-to-use and evidence-based mHealth intervention. WelTel uses two-way SMS communication to improve patient adherence to medication and engagement in care, and has been developed and tested in Canada and Kenya. 

Why integrated care already owns the future

Integrated care has certainly arrived in the primary care clinic. Evidence and momentum began building 20 years ago with the demonstrated effectiveness of collaborative care programs for depression and anxiety disorders in primary care. Since then, various forms of integrated care have been repeatedly proven effective across a range of care settings, patient populations, languages and cultures.

Integrated care models are well adapted to thrive during the Fourth Industrial Revolution in health care. Because integrated care has embraced flexibility and disruption, integrated care models will succeed—or even dominate—in a future that will demand flexibility.

Implications of interprofessional primary care team characteristics for health services and patient health outcomes: A systematic review with narrative synthesis

Interprofessional primary care (IPPC) teams are promoted as an alternative to single profession physician practices in primary care with focus on preventive care and chronic disease management. Characteristics of teams can have an impact on their performance.

Literature focused on the implications of team characteristics on team processes, such as teamwork, collaboration, or satisfaction of patients or providers. Despite heterogeneity of contexts, some trends are observable: shared space, common vision and goals, clear definitions of roles, and leadership as important to good teamwork. The impacts of these on health care outputs or patient health are not clear. So, this systematic review of extant evidence on the characteristics of interprofessional primary care teams can inform policy