Jan. 14, 2016 Africa Publication

Integrated health and community systems strengthening for improved contraceptive access and uptake in Nampula province, Mozambique

As with all types of interventions, the integration of health services demands an adjustment to contextual characteristics, ranging from the burden of disease to society and culture. Thus, in developing countries across Africa, efforts towards the integration of health services overwhelmingly focus on communicable diseases and family planning, and aim to involve existing community structures in the delivery of health services.

Such is the case of the USAID-funded Strengthening Communities through Integrated Programming (SCIP) project in Nampula province, Mozambique. This project, implemented from 2009 to 2015 by Pathfinder International and its partners, worked to increase access to contraceptive services by strengthening and better integrating health and community systems.

 Toward the end of the project, Pathfinder observed a nearly 400 percent increase in couple years of protection (CYP). Furthermore, they found that the distribution of all contraceptive methods had increased, suggesting improved method choice and minimized health provider bias. Recognizing the ...

Jan. 21, 2016 Global Publication

People-centred and integrated health services: an overview of the evidence

This Interim Report accompanies the World Health Organization (WHO) global strategy on people-centred and integrated health services, by presenting some of the evidence on strategies to implement people-centred and integrated health services. It presents a number of case studies and the evidence on the benefits that people-centred and integrated care can bring to people, communities and countries.

The interim WHO global strategy discusses the five strategic directions towards people-centred and integrated health services and looks at the different approaches used to achieve them. It looks at examples from around the world, in differing country contexts, and identifies some models of good practice and lessons learnt. It further considers some of the issues involved in leading and managing change in the health sector, and how to measure success and build learning into the process.

The interim WHO global strategy went throuh global consultations and was reviewed and re-published under the name ...

Nov. 10, 2022 Americas Publication

Social workers in integrated care beyond primary care: a scoping review

Social workers are key members of integrated care (IC) teams, yet there is limited research on the presence and roles of social workers on IC teams. Research literature from 2014 to 2021 was identified using the following search engines: Academic Search Complete, PsycINFO, CINAHL Plus, SocINDEX and MEDLINE. An exploratory search was conducted in January 2021 and an updated search was conducted in August 2021. This search resulted in 802 references, 50 of which met criteria for full-text review. Nine articles were identified through supplemental searching. 20 articles were included in the final review. Of the 20 studies included, most were randomized control trials (45%; n = 9). Studies varied across settings including specialty care (40%; n = 8), community-based practices (35%; n = 7), and primary care (25%; n = 5). Social workers engaged in a variety of roles including behavioral interventions, care coordination, and intake assessment. Social workers are engaged in IC ...