The European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research supports the Sustainable Development Goals
The evolution of the scholarly debate on ‘integrated care’ and related initiatives to overcome fragmentation of service delivery has taken various directions and advances over the past two decades. On the one hand, care integration describes efforts focused on better coordination and linkage of services and specializations within the health system, e.g. disease management and related guidelines. On the other hand, concepts of ‘whole system thinking’ and similar approaches to extend the boundaries of the health system to closely connected systems of social care – but also housing, the built environment, etc. – and eventually the emerging system of long-term care triggered a dynamic towards a broader perspective. This was also underlined on an international policy level by the explicit acknowledgement of long-term care (LTC) by WHO in its latest ‘global strategy and plan of action on ageing and health’. In this strategy WHO highlighted as one of the key objectives that Member States are recommended to 'establish and continually improve a sustainable and equitable long-term care system' (WHO, 2016, 19).
This study was commissioned by WHO Europe with the objective to underpin the implementation of its ‘European Framework for Action on Integrated Health Services Delivery’ (EFFA IHSD). The multiple challenges at the interfaces between health systems and long-term care (LTC) were addressed by evidence from experiences and models across Europe to achieve solutions with improved outcomes in terms of quality of care from a patient’s perspective, effectiveness, efficiency and equity.
The study was based on specific applied methodologies encompassing
The findings and policy recommendations were reported to WHO for final editing and publication.
The European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research supports the Sustainable Development Goals