Strengthening Integration Of Health Services And Systems.
New care delivery models that hold providers more accountable for coordinated, high-quality care and the overall health of their patients have appeared in the US health care system, spurred by recent legislation such as the Affordable Care Act. These models support the integration of health care systems, but maximizing health and well-being for all individuals will require a broader conceptualization of health and more explicit connections between diverse partners. Integration of health services and systems constitutes the fourth Action Area in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Culture of Health Action Framework, which is the subject of this article. This Action Area conceives of a strengthened health care system as one in which medical care, public health, and social services interact to produce a more effective, equitable, higher-value whole that maximizes the production of health and well-being for all individuals. Three critical drivers help define and advance this Action Area and identify gaps and needs that must be addressed to move forward. These drivers are access, balance and integration, and consumer experience and quality. This article discusses each driver and summarizes practice gaps that, if addressed, will help move the nation toward a stronger and more integrated health system.
Laurie T. Martin (lamartin@rand.org) is a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation in Arlington, Virginia.
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Alonzo Plough is vice president, Research-Evaluation-Learning, and chief science officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, in Princeton, New Jersey.
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Katherine G. Carman is an economist at the RAND Corporation in Santa Monica, California.
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Laura Leviton is a senior adviser for evaluation at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
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Olena Bogdan is an assistant policy analyst at the RAND Corporation in Santa Monica.
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Carolyn E. Miller is a senior program officer in the Research-Evaluation-Learning unit at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
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D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D058991:Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; D011634:Public Health; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D040841:Resource Allocation; D012947:Social Work / Q000458:organization & administration; D014481:United States
Business Of Health; Consumer Issues; Health Reform; Primary Care; Public Health