Empowering Better End-of-Life Dementia Care (EMBED-Care): A mixed methods protocol to achieve integrated person-centred care across settings

It is known that the number of people with dementia continues to increase in the world. We also know that people with dementia live to advanced stages of the disease, so they will require comprehensive palliative care. The aim objetive of this work, is to promote a “step change” in care for people with dementia and their carers to enable delivery of timely person-centred care, to identify unmet needs and improve outcomes, including comfort and qualitive of life, towards end of life. Each of six-interdependent work streams (WSs) will deliver new knowledge and sequentially build a complex intervention to improve ...

Integrating care for non-communicable diseases into routine HIV services: key considerations for policy design in sub-Saharan Africa

There is great interest for integrating care for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) into routine HIV services in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) due to the steady rise of the number of people who are ageing with HIV. Suggested health system approaches for intervening on these comorbidities have mostly been normative, with little actionable guidance on implementation, and on the practical, economic and ethical considerations of favouring people living with HIV (PLHIV) versus targeting the general population.The authors summarize opportunities and challenges related to leveraging HIV treatment platforms to address NCDs among PLHIV. It is emphasized key considerations that can guide integrated care ...

Understanding integrated care at the frontline using organisational learning theory: A participatory evaluation of multi-professional teams in East London

Integrated care has been proposed as an organising principle to address the challenges of the rising demand for care services and limited resources. There is limited understanding of the role of learning in integrated care systems. Organisational Learning (OL) theory in the guise of ‘Learning Practice’ can offer a lens to study service integration and reflect on some of the challenges faced by multi-professional teams in developing a learning culture.

The study presents findings from two qualitative evaluations of integrated care initiatives in three East London boroughs, England, undertaken between 2017 and 2018.

Different Contexts, Similar Challenges. SUSTAIN’s Experiences with Improving Integrated Care in Europe

SUSTAIN stands for ‘Sustainable Tailored Integrated Care for Older People in Europe’ (www.sustain-eu.org). The SUSTAIN-project was carried out between 2015 and 2019 by thirteen partners from eight European countries: Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Norway, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

The SUSTAIN project was designed to support the development of integrated care for older people living at home with health and social care needs. Its objectives were twofold: 1. To support and monitor improvements to established integrated care initiatives and 2. To contribute to the adoption and application of such improvements to other health ...

Realising the value of integrated care in Australia beyond

PROFESSOR NICK GOODWIN, Director, Central Coast Research Institute for Integrated Care, University of Newcastle and Central Coast LHD. Co-Founder, International Foundation for Integrated Care

Over the past decade there has been a growing realisation of the need to reform health and care systems in Australia to better coordinate care, improve quality and promote value.

For example, recent reports such as the 2017 Productivity Commission’s Shifting the Dial and the 2018 CSIRO report Future of Health criticised the existing disease-based, episodic, medicallydominated and institutionally- led characteristics of the Australian health system as being unable to respond effectively to the new ...

Cost and effects of integrated care: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis

Health and care services are becoming increasingly strained and healthcare authorities worldwide are investing in integrated care in the hope of delivering higher-quality services while containing costs. The cost-efectiveness of integrated care, however, remains unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to appraise current economic evaluations of integrated care and assesses the impact on outcomes and costs.

The Over 75 Service: Continuity of Integrated Care for Older People in a United Kingdom Primary Care Setting

Continuity of care is concerned with quality of care over a period of time. It describes a process by which service users and their families are co-operatively involved with health and social care professionals in managing their care needs. Continuity of care can be divided into informational, managerial and relational and has been associated with improved user- and service-related outcomes. To date, there have been few studies which examine how continuity of care is developed and maintained in integrated primary care systems. 

Integrated Care for Older Adults: A Struggle for Sustained Implementation in Northern Netherlands

Integrated care has been suggested as a promising solution to the disparities in access and sustained high quality long-term care emerging in Europe’s ageing population. The Dutch integrated person-centred health service for older adults was based on two evidence-based models (the Chronic Care Model and the Kaiser Permanente Triangle). In this case study we assess the impact of the programme based on past evaluations, reflect on why it ended, lessons learned and ideas to take forward.

Paradoxes of person centred care: A discussion paper

Impact of the CareWell integrated care model for older patients with multimorbidity: a quasi-experimental controlled study in the Basque Country

Older patients with multimorbidity have complex health and social care needs, associated with elevated use of health care resources. The CareWell program for older patients with multimorbidity, is based on the coordination between health providers, home-based care and patient empowerment, supported by information and communication technology tools. The implementation of CareWell integrated care model changed the profile of health resource utilization, strengthening the key role of primary care and reducing the number of emergency visits and hospitalizations