Better value primary care is needed now more than ever

Healthcare systems globally are fancing multiple challenges, with ageing populations, increasing chronic disease, rising multiborbidity, and innovative treatments and technologies all leading to rising costs. With finite resources, and an increasing recognition of the potential harms to patients of overdiagnosis and overtreatment, it is essential that resources are used optimally. This article explore how the value based healthcare framework can help decisions about how to allocate resources, and the importance of good evidence not only for patient treatment but the organisation of health services. 

Project INTEGRATE: Lessons for Policy, Management and Implementation of Integrated Care in Europe

Project INTEGRATE aims to gain valuable insights into the leadership, management and delivery of integrated care to support European care systems to respond to the challenges of ageing populations and the rise of people living with long-term chronic conditions.

This project has already examined four case studies of best practices of integrated care in Europe, in the areas of COPD, Mental Health, Geriatric Conditions and Diabetes, that have had a proven impact in terms of improving patient experiences, generating better care outcomes and providing cost-effectiveness. The key aim of this part of the research was to define what constitutes good ...

Individual determinants of integrated care for indigent patients: an experimental study in Brussels: Pierre Smith

In metropolitan area, socially deprived patients with chronic disease undergo the fragmentation of health and social care services because of their complex needs. Integration of health and social care would benefit these patientes, however, it is not feasible or appropriate to integrate all the services for all vulnerable patients. This study aims at identifying the indicidual determinants of deprived patients´preferences in integration of health and social care. 

Primary Care Home October 2017

The Primary Care Home programme has gathered huge momentum since its inception in autumn 2015. From 15 original rapid test sites– they now have more than 190 sites across England, covering eight million patients– 14 per cent of the population.

Applications continue to come in – all are very welcome to join what has all the hallmarks of a social movement across integrated care. Its success, they believe, is because it is bringing about the change that clinicians know is right for their patients – something they've always wanted to do. Staff now feel empowered and excited, with the freedom to ...

Managing multimorbidity: profiles of integrated care approaches targeting people with multiple chronic conditions in Europe

In response to the growing populations of people with multiple chronic deseases, new models of care are currently being developed in European countries to better meet the needs of these people. This paper aims to describe the occurrence and characteristics of various types of ntegrated care practices in European countries that target people with multimorbidity.

Conducting a Health Needs Assessment to Identify Potentials for Population-based Integrated Care Models in Socially Deprived Urban Regions – The Example of the Integrated Care Project “Billstedt-Horn” in Hamburg, Germany

Against the background of regional differences in morbidity and social determinants of health small-scale health services research is becoming increasingly relevant, particularly for planners of population-based integrated care models. Despite of longstanding research of regional variation especially by John Wennberg neither are there scientifically or practically accepted standards on how to identify regions which are in a special need for integrating health services nor is there a precisely defined set of methods which could be used to identify and prioritize problems in health services delivery.

Integrated Care in Action: A Practical Guide for Health, Social Care and Housing Support.

Integration is now a key expectation within the delivery of health and social care services in the UK and internationally. However, it still remains difficult to achieve and sustain in practice. Based on learning from successful, and unsuccessful, integrated care initiatives, this book is an invaluable guide for those responsible for leading, managing and delivering integrated care across health, social care and housing.

Written by an experienced team of researchers who have studied, led and supported integrated care for many years Integrated Care in Practice draws on latest evidence, innovative practice and helpful theory. It provides insights into the common ...

Towards an overarching European health information system

A european health information system (HIS) supports learning between member states through international comparisons. In addition, it informs international policy agendas. Collaboration between the major stakeholders, most importantly the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe (WHO-euro), teh European Commission and OECD, is important for member states, as this will contribute to better and more efficiently produced health intelligence. This paper focuses on this "supra-internationa" collaboration.

Longing for Integrated Care: The Importance of Effective Governance

"Integrated care is not about creating a multidisciplinary offer/supply, but it is about creating an integrative answerd to the most important issues of people in need. A holistic approach seems logical, but it means a lot of for how we organise our health care and welfare systems, and the needed connections with other domains in life"- Mirella M.N. Minkman

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The State of Health Care Integration in Estonia

This paper summarizes an assessment of the state of health care integration in Estonia and its driving forces. In the absence of a widely accepted definition, this study defines health care integration as:

i) the delivery of care in the appropriate care setting and

ii) coordination and continuity of care across care settings.

The study focuses on integration issues related to the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases, with particular attention to the role and functioning of primary care and equity issues. The findings of this analysis therefore do not provide a comprehensive assessment of quality within specific care settings ...