IPCHS. Integrated People-Centred Health Services

Publications

This growing repository holds WHO documents, scientific publications, policy documents, implementation reports, presentations and others with information and insights about integrated people-centred health services. Share your publication by clicking “Add publication”.

Nov. 14, 2020 Global

Integrated Care and Geriatrics: A Call to Renovation from the COVID-19 Pandemic

We are experiencing an unprecedented demographic change, in terms of speed. The population over 65 years of age corresponds to approximately 9% of the world population (Population Division of the Department of Economics and Social Affairs of the United Nations).
We know that the elderly population has a high risk of suffering from serious diseases.

Long-term care facilities (LTCFs) of geriatric care has been traditionally marginalized within healthcare networks. LTCFs have constantly been living in the ambiguity that their residential nature does not fit with the relevant clinical burden of care of their frail and complex residents.

Covid 19 presents ...

Read more
Nov. 14, 2020 Western Pacific

mHealth for Integrated People-Centred Health Services in the Western Pacific: A Systematic Review

The global move towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires a fundamental shift towards integrated healthcare systems. This vision of ‘Integrated care’ has been defined as a “coherent set of methods and models on the funding, administrative, organisational, service delivery and clinical levels designed to create connectivity, alignment and collaboration within and between the cure and care sectors.

Digital Health includes the use of mobile health (mHealth) applications, social media and health information systems and data. With the Internet of Things (IoT), it improves the data flow and interface between self-care, home-based services, primary ...

Read more
Nov. 14, 2020 Global

Leadership in integrated care networks: A literature review and opportunities for future research

This article reviews research on leadership in integrated care networks. It is timely as scholars and policy makers regard integrated care as a key part in reforming healthcare systems to cope with demographic aging, the rising prevalence of chronic diseases and the growing demand for long-term care.

In many countries, elderly patients with chronic conditions require a web of services delivered by several providers collaborating in inter-organisational networks. In view of their global importance, it is surprising how little we know how these networks are led. Like traditional organisations, networks require leadership to function effectively. This paper reviews central characteristics ...

Read more
Nov. 13, 2020 Western Pacific

Refining Program Theory for a Place-Based Integrated Care Initiative in Sydney, Australia

A number of families living in our community experience many barriers to accessing health and social care. The problems that these families face are highly complex, often spanning over generations, and cannot be addressed by one agency alone.  The Healthy Homes and Neighbourhoods (HHAN) Integrated Care Initiative attempts to connect services to address these barriers, and ensure families have their complex health and social needs met; keep themselves and their children safe; and keep families connected to society.

This article shows that in addition to serving families in Sydney, HHAN has also established place-based initiatives (PBI) in disadvantaged areas such ...

Read more
Nov. 11, 2020 Global

Primary health care, the Declaration of Astana and COVID-19

Abstract Four decades after the Declaration of Alma-Ata, its vision of health for all and strategy of primary health care are still an inspiration to many people. In this article we evaluate the current status of primary health care in the era of the Declaration of Astana, the sustainable development goals, universal health coverage and the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Read more
Nov. 10, 2020 Global

Communities, universal health coverage and primary health care

Universal health coverage (UHC) depends on a strong primary health-care system. To be successful, primary health care must be expanded at community and household levels as much of the world’s population still lacks access to health facilities for basic services. Abundant evidence shows that community-based interventions are effective for improving health-care utilization and outcomes when integrated with facility-based services. Community involvement is the cornerstone of local, equitable and integrated primary health care.

Read more
Nov. 9, 2020 Africa

How well are non-communicable disease services being integrated into primary health care in Africa: A review of progress against World Health Organization’s African regional targets

In Africa, mortality due to NCDs is projected to overtake the combined mortality from communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases by 2030. To address this growing NCD burden, PHC systems will require substantial re-orientation. In this tudy published, researchers reviewed progress of African countries towards integrating essential NCD services into PHC. The study found that no country met all the recommended indicators to integrate NCD services into PHC, and seven countries met none of the indicators.

Read more
Nov. 9, 2020 Global

Integrating care for older people with complex needs: key insights and lessons from a seven-country cross-case analysis

To address the challenges of caring for a growing number of older people with a mix of both health problems and functional impairment, programmes in different countries have different approaches to integrating health and social service supports. The goal of this analysis is to identify important lessons for policy makers and service providers to enable better design, implementation and spread of successful integrated care models.

Read more
Nov. 9, 2020 Africa

Adaptation and piloting of an integrated intervention model for alcohol use disorders in primary healthcare in rural Tanzania: a study protocol

According to Africa WHO, the African Region is faced with a growing burden of harmful alcohol consumption and its disastrous effects. There is no other consumer product as widely available as alcohol that accounts for as much premature death and disability. There are two main characteristics that describe alcohol consumption patterns in the Region: a high level of alcohol abstention in some countries and high volume consumption with severe health and social consequences in others. Alcohol use has immediate and long-term effects that increase the risks associated with numerous health conditions. Alcohol is a leading cause of risky sexual behaviours ...

Read more
Nov. 9, 2020 Americas

Telemedicine for housebound older persons during the Covid-19 pandemic

Hollander and Brendan highlighted the benefit to decision-making that may be drawn from the use of automated screening algorithms in prioritizing patient care to better allocate resources during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.  A strategy to screen older community dwellers at risk for home confinement-related adverse consequences must, therefore, be adopted based on an efficient and effective forward triage framework. In older community dwellers, assessing frailty is a definite cornerstone of triage, as it provides insight into the degree of vulnerability in their health status and their risk for ...

Read more