title: [The French Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology position paper on the concept of integration, Part One].
abstract: The concept of integrated services delivery, although dating from the 1990s, has only recently appeared in the French public health policy. To clarify the concept and its adaptation to the reality of the French systems of healthcare and social services, the French Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology established an interdisciplinary working group. This article reports the group's findings according to three axes: the definition of integration, the objectives of this organizational approach and the means needed to achieve them. Analysis of the literature indicated that integration is a process that aims to overcome the fragmentation of services for vulnerable people. This process requires a multilevel approach, particularly concerning how to modify public policies and financing systems. Notably, all relevant levels need to develop shared processes, tools, resources, finance, interventions and feed-back on the latter. Indeed, this sharing is the ultimate proof of evolution towards integration. In this first part of the position paper, its authors analyzed integrated care definitions used in international literature in view of designing the most important components of integrated care. The examination of this concept must be articulated with the idea of "coordination" which has been the cornerstone of the majority of public policies applied to the field of geriatrics and gerontology since the 1960s in France. The components of integrated care highlight that it is an ambitious process leading to real systemic modification. The authors also have proposed to open up a dialogue between citizens' aspirations and integrated care objectives with the aim to verify that the latter respond to the needs as expressed by the targeted group.
authors.affiliation: Université de Rennes 1, Faculté de médecine, Centre Hospitalier universitaire de Rennes, France.
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Somme
authors.affiliation: Fondation nationale de gérontologie, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Trouvé
authors.affiliation: Service de gériatrie, Centre hospitalier, Mulhouse, France.
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Passadori
authors.affiliation: ARS Languedoc-Roussillon, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Corvez
authors.affiliation: Service de gériatrie, Centre hospitalier universitaire, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jeandel
authors.affiliation: École des hautes études en santé publique, Rennes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, équipe Management des organisations en santé (MOS), France.
authors.forename: Marie-Aline
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bloch
authors.affiliation: Délégation générale de la SFGG, Suresnes, France.
authors.forename: Geneviève
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ruault
authors.affiliation: Fondation Condé, Chantilly, France.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dupont
authors.affiliation: Service de gériatrie, APHP, Hôpital Sainte Périne, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Matthieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Stampa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D005602:France; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000639:trends*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D012955:Societies, Medical
keywords: concepts; coordination; definition; integrated care; position paper