Integrated care

About: Integrated care is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 7318 publications have been published within this topic receiving 106960 citations. The topic is also known as: Integrated Delivery of Health Care & Delivery of Health Care, Integrated.

Vol. 12, Special Edition Integrated Care Pathways The care pathway: concepts and theories: an introduction

Abstract: This article addresses first the definition of a (care) pathway, and then follows a description of theories since the 1950s. It ends with a discussion of theoretical advantages and disadvantages of care pathways for patients and professionals. The objective of this paper is to provide a theoretical base for empirical studies on care pathways. The knowledge for this chapter is based on several books on pathways, which we found by searching in the digital encyclopedia Wikipedia. Although this is not usual in scientific publications, this method was used because books are not searchable by databases as Pubmed. From 2005, we performed a literature search on Pubmed and other literature databases, and with the keywords integrated care pathway, clinical pathway, critical pathway, theory, research, and evaluation. One of the inspirational sources was the website of the European Pathway Association (EPA) and its journal International Journal of Care Pathways. The authors visited several sites for this paper. These are mentioned as illustration of a concept or theory. Most of them have English websites with more information. The URLs of these websites are not mentioned in this paper as a reference, because the content of them changes fast, sometimes every day.

Integrated Health Care: Improving Client Care while Providing Opportunities for Mental Health Counselors

Abstract: Integrated health care, the co-location of mental health and medical professionals within primary care settings, is an emerging trend In essence, integrated care eases the access such that underserved primary care clients with mental health needs can receive treatment Current models of integrated care are described, and strategies for mental health counselors' involvement within primary care settings are discussed

Critical practice in health and social care

Abstract: This book is one of a series of core texts for an Open University course of the same title aimed primarily at students, practitioners, and educators in social work, nursing and associated health and social care professions. It sets out to take ‘‘a fresh look at professions and professionalism—what these terms mean and what they need to mean in the future in the health and social care field’’. In doing this, its stated major intention is to support a new kind of reflexive practice—to help practitioners develop a much more ‘‘collaborative, negotiated and power-sharing approach to their work’’ which is both strategic and flexible to on-going change. However, because Critical Practice in Health and Social Care brings together the wide range of ever changing influences—both historical and contemporary—on decision-making by professionals in the health and social care arena, it is a useful reference text not only for its main professional audiences, but also for others interested in this key issue for the future of care services.

Disease management: has it a future? It has a compelling logic, but needs to be tested in practice.

Abstract: Education and debate p 563, 566 Disease management, often known as integrated care or care pathways, has wide appeal for health care reformers keen to contain costs and improve outcomes. 1 2 Integrated care is a key plank in the government's NHS modernisation programme.3 It is also particularly relevant to chronic illness. Disease management commands wide international support as the optimal approach to planning and delivering health care.4 It is welcomed as a structured systems response to a set of problems that are evident to some degree in all health services. These include uncoordinated arrangements for delivering care, a bias towards acute treatment, a neglect of preventive care, and inappropriate treatment. The theory behind disease management is that resources can be used more effectively if the patient becomes the pivot around which health care is organised.5 In place of functional divisions, such as those between primary care and hospitals or between different clinical specialties, the divisions …