Inter-organizational networks on the Dutch home health care market.
The demand for home care in the Netherlands is growing and changing. A decreasing rate of institutionalization, combined with an increasing number of elderly people with special age-related, often complex health problems, has led to new groups of patients, to be cared for in their home settings. This requires a strong coordination of services between suppliers from the primary and secondary health care sectors. In order to promote coordinated care, Dutch health care providers are building inter-organizational networks. The development of such arrangements was the target of 12 demonstration projects, selected by the Ministry of Health for the National Home Care Programme. This article presents some of the results of an evaluation study of the Programme, with special attention given to the question of the extent to which such inter-organizational networks contribute to the balance between quality and cost.
Mur-Veeman
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University of Limburg, Department of Policy Science and Administration, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
van Raak
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D003191:Comprehensive Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003625:Data Collection; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006302:Health Services Research; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D009096:Multi-Institutional Systems / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009313:National Health Programs; D009426:Netherlands; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011787:Quality of Health Care