title: Patient perceptions of integrated care: confused by the term, clear on the concept.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Health care reform in the US has introduced terms such as 'the patient-centered medical home' and 'integrated care' that are often unclear and unfamiliar to patients. This study explored patient experiences with the functional domains of integrated care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients first wrote their definitions of integrated care and then participated in focus group discussions about their experiences with the health care system. Transcripts were analyzed for thematic content.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-four patients participated in one of seven focus groups in San Francisco, CA in English and Spanish. Many patients were not clear about the meaning of the term integrated care. However, patients described experiences largely reflected in an existing conceptual model of integrated care and the importance of coordination within and across teams and with community resources, continuity and sharing of information, and patient engagement. Patients with high medical needs described the ubiquitous challenges they faced in experiencing coordinated care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients may not understand the term integrated care but are relatively clear on what the concept of integrated care entails and support its successful implementation. Patients and their families are at the center of integrated care, and health systems need to support and empower them to successfully navigate the medical neighborhood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Kara Odom
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Alanna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Labat
authors.forename: Judy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schmittdiel
authors.forename: Anita L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Grumbach
keywords: framework; integrated care; patient centered experiences