Feb. 5, 2016 Africa, Americas, South-East Asia, Eastern Mediterranean, Western Pacific Publication

Going Universal: How 24 countries are implementing universal health coverage reforms from the bottom up

This World Bank Group book is an overview of how 24 developing countries have embarked on the long journey to Universal Health Coverage (UHC). This Universal Health Coverage Study Series (UNICO) offers knowledge and operational tools to help countries tackle UHC in ways that are fiscally sustainable and that enhance equity and efficiency, by providing examples and lessons learnt from the UNICO countries (individual case studies may be accessed at http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/health/publication/universal-health-coverage-study-series). In these countries, which together represent one third of the world’s population, efforts to achieve UHC have mainly focused on fiscal expansion, accountability, and community health workers. The study finds that most of these countries, except for success stories such as Costa Rica and Thailand, are still struggling with establishing functional integrated care networks. However, the report recommends that developing countries should continue to empower their primary sector as gatekeepers ...

July 19, 2017 Africa Publication

Costs of implementing integrated community case management (iCCM) in six African countries: implications for sustainability

Sub-Saharan Africa still reports the highest rates of under-five mortality. Low cost, high impact interventions exist, however poor access remains a challenge. Integrated community case management (iCCM) was introduce to improve access to essential services for children 2-59 months through diagnosis, treatment and referral services by community health workers for malaria, pneumonia and diarrhea. 

This paper presents the results of an economic analysis of iCCM implementation in regions supported by UNICEF in six countries and assesses country-level sclae-up implications. The paper focuses on costs to provider (healht system andd donors) to inform planning and budgeting, and does not cover cost-effectiveness. 

Aug. 30, 2017 Americas, Western Pacific Publication

Effective Organizational Leadership in the Implementation of Integrated Care; Lessons from 9 cases in the iCoach Project

Policy makers in many countries are encouraging the development of integrated care strategies and the development of new models of integrated care. These new models require changes at a clinical or service level, organizational level and system level with strong leadership necessary at all three levels. Despite the key role of leadership in these efforts, there has been only limited study of what organizational leadership approach is successful in different contexts for integrated care. 

Oct. 2, 2018 Europe Publication

A year of integrated care systems: Reviewing the journey so far

Where once the primary purpose of the health and care system was to provide
episodic treatment for acute illness, it now needs to deliver joined-up and proactive support for growing numbers of older people and people living with long-term conditions and complex needs.
In March 2017, NHS England set out an ambition to ‘use the next several years to make the biggest national move to integrated care of any major western country’. This aim is now being pursued through the development of sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs) – local ‘place?based’ partnerships of NHS and local authority organisations. The most advanced local partnerships have been asked to develop ‘integrated care systems’ (ICSs). These systems will take more control of funding and services across local areas.
The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how ICSs are being
developed in different parts of the country and to identify lessons for local ...

Jan. 24, 2019 Europe Publication

Tomorrow’s World: Is Digital Health the Disruptive Innovation that will Drive the Adoption of Integrated Care Systems?

The idea of this study is that disruptive digital innovations can play a significant role in curbing the long-term rise in the costs of health and care, empower and engage service users, and enable better care outcomes and experiences.
In many ways, the strategy has similar objectives to the integrated care movement in the need to design and implement new ways of care delivery. Indeed, the role of information, communication and technology is commonly regarded as one of the essential ingredients in enabling the success of integrated care. It has the most uncommon dual property in this regard. It is simultaneously the grease that allows integrated care systems to operate as smoothly as they can through good communication of information between care professionals and services users, but it is also the glue that binds care systems together.

Nov. 13, 2020 Europe Publication

Collaborative Experience Success Stories in Integrated Care of Older People: A Narrative Analysis

With the increasing differentiation of organisations involved in the pursuit of public health, there is also a growing need for inter?organisational integration. Starting from the concepts of differentiation and integration, this article is attempting a theoretical reconstruction based on published research on inter?organisational integration in public health and related welfare services.

The call for integrated care has been induced by demographic change, increased fragmentation of the welfare sector and increased demand for technically and more expensive care solutions. There is a wide variety of strategies and initiatives to improve care continuity and coordination for people with chronic diseases, not least for older people with complex care needs who require care from multiple providers.

Inter-organisational collaboration is crucial in the care of older people, as is the development of integrated care. Storytelling in organisations is one way of understanding how to achieve successful collaboration. This article provides insights into ...

Nov. 23, 2020 Europe Publication

The future of integrated care in England. Health leaders’ views on how to make system working a success

For decades, the legislative framework governing health and care in England has centred around the principle of competition between organisations to improve the quality of services. Yet there is now wide recognition that we need to look to collaboration and integration to improve population health, deliver better quality care, and make more efficient use of resources. 

The NHS Confederation welcomes this move, the importance of which is further reinforced by experiences of coping with a pandemic. While COVID-19 has proven to be the greatest challenge that NHS and local government services have faced in their history, it has also demonstrated what can be achieved when we move away from individual organisations working in silos and towards true collaborative working within systems. 

Over the coming 12 months, the government is expected to table new primary NHS legislation that will set out a legal framework through which NHS organisations will continue to ...