title: Towards an international taxonomy of integrated primary care: a Delphi consensus approach.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Developing integrated service models in a primary care setting is considered an essential strategy for establishing a sustainable and affordable health care system. The Rainbow Model of Integrated Care (RMIC) describes the theoretical foundations of integrated primary care. The aim of this study is to refine the RMIC by developing a consensus-based taxonomy of key features.
  
  
  METHODS
  First, the appropriateness of previously identified key features was retested by conducting an international Delphi study that was built on the results of a previous national Delphi study. Second, categorisation of the features among the RMIC integrated care domains was assessed in a second international Delphi study. Finally, a taxonomy was constructed by the researchers based on the results of the three Delphi studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The final taxonomy consists of 21 key features distributed over eight integration domains which are organised into three main categories: scope (person-focused vs. population-based), type (clinical, professional, organisational and system) and enablers (functional vs. normative) of an integrated primary care service model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The taxonomy provides a crucial differentiation that clarifies and supports implementation, policy formulation and research regarding the organisation of integrated primary care. Further research is needed to develop instruments based on the taxonomy that can reveal the realm of integrated primary care in practice.
authors.affiliation: Jan van Es Institute, Netherlands Expert Centre Integrated Primary Care, Wisselweg 33, CB 1314, Almere, The Netherlands. p.valentijn@jvei.nl.|Scientific Centre for Care and Welfare (Tranzo), Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands. p.valentijn@jvei.nl.
authors.forename: Pim P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Valentijn
authors.affiliation: Scientific Centre for Care and Welfare (Tranzo), Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands. vrijhoef_hubertus@nuhs.edu.sg.|Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore. vrijhoef_hubertus@nuhs.edu.sg.|Department of Patient and Care, University Hospital Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands. vrijhoef_hubertus@nuhs.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Hubertus J M
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Vrijhoef
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Research, School for Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. d.ruwaard@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ruwaard
authors.affiliation: Jan van Es Institute, Netherlands Expert Centre Integrated Primary Care, Wisselweg 33, CB 1314, Almere, The Netherlands. i.boesveld@jvei.nl.
authors.forename: Inge
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Boesveld
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Health & Technology, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands. r.y.arends@utwente.nl.
authors.forename: Rosa Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Arends
authors.affiliation: Jan van Es Institute, Netherlands Expert Centre Integrated Primary Care, Wisselweg 33, CB 1314, Almere, The Netherlands. m.bruijnzeels@jvei.nl.
authors.forename: Marc A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bruijnzeels
mesh_terms: D002965:Classification / Q000379:methods*; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000145:classification*; D003697:Delphi Technique; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009426:Netherlands; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration