Integrated care
Quality Management
Definition. Integrated care is the coordination of health and social care services around the needs of people, so that care is continuous across providers, settings and time.
Explanation
Kodner and Spreeuwenberg (2002) describe integration as a set of methods and models at the funding, administrative, organisational, service delivery and clinical levels. Valentijn et al. (2013) distinguish clinical, professional, organisational and system integration, connected by functional and normative integration.
Integrated care is pursued especially for people with chronic conditions, multimorbidity and frailty. Evaluations show improvements in patient experience and access, while effects on hospital use and costs vary with the depth of integration and the time allowed for change.
Related concepts
Clinical pathway Multimorbidity Long-term care
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References
Kodner, D. L., & Spreeuwenberg, C. (2002). Integrated care: Meaning, logic, applications, and implications. A discussion paper. International Journal of Integrated Care, 2, e12.
Valentijn, P. P., Schepman, S. M., Opheij, W., & Bruijnzeels, M. A. (2013). Understanding integrated care: A comprehensive conceptual framework based on the integrative functions of primary care. International Journal of Integrated Care, 13, e010.
Cite this entry: Kurutkan, M. N. (2026). Integrated care. In The Health Topics glossary. https://healthtopic.org/glossary/integrated-care/
Articles that discuss this concept
8 articles on The Health Topics use this concept. The list updates as new articles are published.
- Epidemiology of Healthcare Quality: Key Insights & Impacts 1
- The Triple Aim: Care, Health, and Cost 1
- Priority Problem Areas in Health Policies: An Overview from Global to Local 1
- Thematic Review of the Health Policy Literature: A Report on the Top 50 Most Cited Articles in Web of Science 1
- Prioritizing Care in Residential Aged Care Facilities 1
- Diffused Leadership: An Introduction (101) 1
- Implementation Science: Conceptual Framework, Measurement Taxonomy and Causal Chain Analysis 1
- Healthy Longevity: An Introduction (101) 1