Implementation and impact of integrated health and social care services: an umbrella review

Governments in many European countries have been working towards integrating health and social care services to eliminate the fragmentation that leads to poor care coordination for patients. We conducted a systematic review to identify and synthesize knowledge about the integration of health and soc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of public health policy 2024-03, Vol.45 (1), p.14-29
Main Authors: de Matos, Ricardo Correia, do Nascimento, Generosa, Fernandes, Adalberto Campos, Matos, Cristiano
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Archives & records
Clinical outcomes
Collaboration
Coordination
Cost control
Cost reduction
CRD42022319432
Delivery of Health Care, Integrated - organization & administration
Equality and Human Rights
Europe
Health care policy
Health disparities
Health services
Health status
Humans
Integrated care
Integration
Medical Sociology
Patient satisfaction
Patients
Professionals
Public Health
Qualitative research
Quality of care
Quality of Health Care - organization & administration
Quality of Health Care - standards
Quality of life
Quality of service
Review Article
Satisfaction
Segmentation
Social Justice
Social Policy
Social Sciences
Social services
Social Work - organization & administration
Sociology
Systematic review
Treatment outcomes
Waiting times
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Summary:Governments in many European countries have been working towards integrating health and social care services to eliminate the fragmentation that leads to poor care coordination for patients. We conducted a systematic review to identify and synthesize knowledge about the integration of health and social care services in Europe. We identified 490 records, in 14 systematic reviews that reported on 1148 primary studies and assessed outcomes of integration of health care and social care. We categorized records according to three purposes: health outcomes, service quality and integration procedures outcomes. Health outcomes include improved clinical outcomes, enhanced quality of life, and positive effects on quality of care. Service quality improvements encompass better access to services, reduced waiting times, and increased patient satisfaction. Integration procedure outcomes involve cost reduction, enhanced collaboration, and improved staff perceptions; however, some findings rely on limited evidence. This umbrella review provides a quality-appraised overview of existing systematic reviews.
ISSN:0197-5897
1745-655X
1745-655X
DOI:10.1057/s41271-023-00465-y