The capacity of health services research to support integrated care in England

Purpose - This report aims to examine the capacity for research to support integrated care developments. The focus is on health service research agencies in English universities. It is designed to promote an understanding of alternative approaches as national research programmes offer new opportunit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of integrated care (Brighton, England) England), 2012-09, Vol.20 (5), p.270-283
Main Authors: Meads, Geoffrey, White, Donna, Westmore, Matthew
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Commissioning
England
Health care industry
Health services
Higher education
Integrated services
Medical research
Older people
Qualitative research
Studies
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Summary:Purpose - This report aims to examine the capacity for research to support integrated care developments. The focus is on health service research agencies in English universities. It is designed to promote an understanding of alternative approaches as national research programmes offer new opportunities for larger and more rigorous studies.Design methodology approach - The approach draws on three analyses of different data from relevant programmes of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) over a 30 month period. The data are derived from commissioning briefs, monitoring reports and annual reviews. Relevant international comparisons indicate possible responses to deficits.Findings - The review points to a process of normalisation, through which integrated care has become an important standard dimension of health services research in England. While the commissioning of studies related to integrated care is shown to demonstrate a sustained and enhanced profile, the capacity of higher education providers appears to be changing. The growing emphasis on health services research corresponds with increased research leadership from clinical and public health academics, which raises questions regarding future multi-disciplinary and social sciences contributions and projects on lateral forms of integrated care.Research limitations implications - The findings are only derived from a single source from the NIHR portfolio, and a period in which there were significant and structural changes in the NHS and administration of relevant NIHR programmes.Originality value - The review is the first of its kind in employing aggregate NIHR programme data. It offers an original typology of higher education research agencies and novel insights into comparable developments elsewhere.
ISSN:1476-9018
2042-8685
DOI:10.1108/14769011211270729