Transforming Integrated Care Through Co-production: A Systematic Review Using Meta-ethnography.

Introduction: There is a requirement for health and care systems and services to work on an equitable basis with people who use and provide integrated care. In response, co-production has become essential in the design and transformation of services. Globally, an array of approaches have been implemented to achieve this. This unique review explores multi-context and multi-method examples of co-production in integrated care using an exceptional combination of methods. Aim: To review and synthesise evidence that examines how co-production with service users, unpaid carers and members of staff can affect the design and transformation of integrated care services. Methods: Systematic review using meta-ethnography with input from a patient and public involvement (PPI) co-production advisory group. Meta-ethnography can generate theories by interpreting patterns between studies set in different contexts. Nine academic and four grey literature databases were searched for publications between 2012-2022. Data were extracted, analysed, translated and interpreted using the seven phases of meta-ethnography and PPI. Findings: A total of 2,097 studies were identified. 10 met the inclusion criteria. Studies demonstrated a variety of integrated care provisions for diverse populations. Co-production was most successful through person-centred design, innovative planning, and collaboration. Key impacts on service transformation were structural changes, accessibility, and acceptability of service delivery. The methods applied organically drew out new interpretations, namely a novel cyclic framework for application within integrated care. Conclusion: Effective co-production requires a process with a well-defined focus. Implementing co-delivery, with peer support, facilitates service user involvement to be embedded at a higher level on the 'ladder of co-production'. An additional step on the ladder is proposed; a cyclic co-delivery framework. This innovative and operational development has potential to enable better-sustained person-centred integrated care services.

Dementia prevention and the GP's role: a qualitative interview study.

BACKGROUND: GPs play an increasingly important role in proactively preventing dementia. Dementia in 40% of patients could be prevented or delayed by targeting 12 modifiable risk factors throughout life. However, little is known about how GPs perceive their role in dementia prevention and the associated barriers. AIM: To explore the role of GPs in dementia prevention. DESIGN AND SETTING: Qualitative study among UK GPs. METHOD: Semi-structured online interviews were conducted with 11 UK GPs exploring their views regarding their role in dementia prevention. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: GPs reported that they never explicitly discuss dementia risk with patients, even when patients are presenting with risk factors, but acknowledge that dementia prevention should be part of their role. They advocate for adopting a whole team approach to primary care preventive practice, using long-term condition/medication reviews or NHS health checks as a platform to enable dementia risk communication targeting already at-risk individuals. Barriers included a lack of time and an absence of knowledge and education about the modifiable dementia risk factors, as well as a reluctance to use 'dementia' as a term within the appointment for fear of causing health anxiety. 'Brain health' was perceived as offering a more encouraging discursive tool for primary care practitioners, supporting communication and behaviour change. CONCLUSION: There needs to be a whole-systems shift towards prioritising brain health and supporting primary care professionals in their preventive role. Education is key to underpinning this role in dementia prevention.

Patient experiences of the Long COVID-Optimal Health Programme: a qualitative interview study in community settings.

BACKGROUND: Long COVID (LC) symptoms persist 12 weeks or more beyond the acute infection. To date, no standardised diagnostic or treatment pathways exist. However, a holistic approach has been recommended. This study explored participants' experiences of a Long COVID-Optimal Health Programme (LC-OHP); a psychoeducational self-efficacy programme. AIM: To explore perceptions and experiences of people with LC regarding the LC-OHP and identify suggestions to further improve the programme. DESIGN & SETTING: Qualitative study with patients with LC recruited through community settings. METHOD: This study is part of a wider randomised controlled trial. Eligible participants were aged ≥18 years, have LC, and attended a minimum of five LC-OHP sessions plus a booster session. We interviewed those randomised to the intervention group. Interviews were conducted by an independent researcher and thematically analysed to identify common, emerging themes. RESULTS: Eleven participants were interviewed, mostly women from a White British ethnic group (n = 10). Four main themes were identified, reflecting programme benefits and suggestions for improvement. The programme demonstrated potential for assisting patients in managing their LC, including physical health and mental wellbeing. Participants found the programme to be flexible and provided suggestions to adapting it for future users. CONCLUSION: Findings support the acceptability of the LC-OHP to people living with LC. The programme has shown several benefits in supporting physical health and mental wellbeing. Suggestions made to further adapt the programme and improve its delivery will be considered for future trials.

Challenges in heart failure care in four European countries: a comparative study.

BACKGROUND: In Europe, more than 15 million people live with heart failure (HF). It imposes an enormous social, organizational and economic burden. As a reaction to impending impact on healthcare provision, different country-specific structures for HF-care have been established. The aim of this report is to provide an overview and compare the HF-care approaches of Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and the UK, and to open the possibility of learning from each other's experience. METHODS: A mixed methods approach was implemented that included a literature analysis, interviews and questionnaires with HF-patients and caregivers, and expert interviews with representatives from healthcare, health service research and medical informatics. RESULTS: The models of HF-care in all countries analyzed are based on the European Society of Cardiology guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of HF. Even though the HF-models differed in design and implementation in practice, key challenges were similar: (i) unequal distribution of care between urban and rural areas, (ii) long waiting times, (iii) unequal access to and provision of healthcare services, (iv) information and communication gaps and (v) inadequate implementation and financing of digital applications. CONCLUSION: Although promising approaches exist to structure and improve HF-care, across the four countries, implementation was reluctant to embrace novel methods. A lack of financial resources and insufficient digitalization making it difficult to adopt new concepts. Integration of HF-nurses seems to be an effective way of improving current models of HF-care. Digital solutions offer further opportunities to overcome communication and coordination gaps and to strengthen self-management skills.

Long COVID Optimal Health Program (LC-OHP) to Enhance Psychological and Physical Health: Protocol for a Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Long COVID is a collection of symptoms that develop during or following a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19, which continue for more than 12 weeks. Despite the negative impact of long COVID on people's lives and functioning, there is no validated treatment or even rehabilitation guidance. What has been recommended thus far is the adoption of holistic management approaches. The Optimal Health Program (OHP) is a brief 5-session, plus booster, psychosocial program designed to support mental and physical well-being that has been used effectively for a range of chronic conditions. OBJECTIVE: This study examines the feasibility and acceptability of employing an especially customized version of OHP (long COVID OHP [LC-OHP]) to improve psychological and physical health of people with long COVID. METHODS: This is a feasibility randomized controlled trial that will be running from November 2021 to February 2023. Eligible participants aged 18 years or older who are experiencing symptoms of long COVID will be identified through their secondary practitioners with recruitment to be undertaken by the research team. A total of 60 participants will be randomized into a control (usual care) or an intervention (LC-OHP) group. Outcomes will be feasibility and acceptability of the program (primary); and efficacy of the LC-OHP in improving anxiety, depression, fatigue, self-efficacy, and quality of life (secondary). Up to 20 participants will be interviewed at the end of the trial to explore their experience with the program. Quantitative data will be analyzed using SPSS, and differences between groups will be compared using inferential tests where appropriate. Qualitative data will be transcribed and thematically analyzed to identify common emerging themes. RESULTS: This is an ongoing study, which began in November 2021. CONCLUSIONS: Long COVID has a significant impact on an individual's mental and physical functioning. The LC-OHP has a potential to provide people living with long COVID with additional support and to improve self-efficacy. The findings of this study would identify the feasibility of delivering this program to this population and will provide an indication for the program's effectiveness. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN38746119; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN38746119. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/36673.

Understanding Care Navigation by Older Adults With Multimorbidity: Mixed-Methods Study Using Social Network and Framework Analyses.

BACKGROUND: Health and social care systems were designed to be used primarily by people with single and acute diseases. However, a growing number of older adults are diagnosed with multiple long-term conditions (LTCs). The process of navigating the intricacies of health and social care systems to receive appropriate care presents significant challenges for older people living with multiple LTCs, which in turn can negatively influence their well-being and quality of life. OBJECTIVE: The long-term goal of this work is to design technology to assist people with LTCs in navigating health and social care systems. To do so, we must first understand how older people living with LTCs currently engage with and navigate their care networks. No published research describes and analyses the structure of formal and informal care networks of older adults with multiple LTCs, the frequency of interactions with each type of care service, and the problems that typically arise in these interactions. METHODS: We conducted a mixed-methods study and recruited 62 participants aged ≥55 years who were living in England, had ≥2 LTCs, and had completed a social network analysis questionnaire. Semistructured interviews were conducted with roughly a 10% subsample of the questionnaire sample: 4 women and 3 men. On average, interviewees aged 70 years and had 4 LTCs. RESULTS: Personal care networks were complex and adapted to each individual. The task of building and subsequently navigating one's personal care network rested mainly on patients' shoulders. It was frequently the patients' task to bridge and connect the different parts of the system. The major factor leading to a satisfying navigation experience was found to be patients' assertive, determined, and proactive approaches. Furthermore, smooth communication and interaction between different parts of the care system led to more satisfying navigation experiences. CONCLUSIONS: Technology to support care navigation for older adults with multiple LTCs needs to support patients in managing complex health and social care systems by effectively integrating the management of multiple conditions and facilitating communication among multiple stakeholders, while also offering flexibility to adapt to individual situations. Quality of care seems to be dependent on the determination and ability of patients. Those with less determination and fewer organization skills experience worse care. Thus, technology must aim to fulfill these coordination functions to ensure care is equitable across those who need it.

Implementing personal health budgets in England: a user-led approach to substance misuse.

Personal health budgets (PHBs) in England have been viewed as a vehicle for developing a personalised patient-based strategy within the substance misuse care pathway. In 2009, the Department of Health announced a 3-year pilot programme of PHBs to explore opportunities offered by this new initiative across a number of long-term health conditions, and commissioned an independent evaluation to run alongside as well as a separate study involving two pilot sites that were implementing PHBs within the substance misuse service. The study included a quantitative and qualitative strand. The qualitative strand involved 20 semi-structured interviews among organisational representatives at two time points (10 at each time point) between 2011 and 2012 which are the focus for this current paper. Overall, organisational representatives believed that PHBs had a positive impact on budget-holders with a drug and/or alcohol misuse problem, their families and the health and social care system. However, a number of concerns were discussed, many of which seemed to stem from the initial change management process during the early implementation stage of the pilot programme. This study provides guidance on how to implement and offer PHBs within the substance misuse care pathway: individuals potentially would benefit from receiving their PHB post-detox rather than at a crisis point; PHBs have the potential to improve the link to after-care services, and direct payments can provide greater choice and control, but sufficient protocols are required.

Comparing importance and performance from a patient perspective in English general practice: a cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Patient experience and satisfaction are important indicators of quality in health care. Little is known about where to prioritize efforts to improve patient satisfaction. OBJECTIVES: To investigate patient satisfaction with primary care, as part of the Quality and Costs of Primary Care in Europe study in England, identifying areas where improvements could be made from patients' perspectives. METHODS: We conducted a questionnaire survey of general practice patients in three English regions. Patient Values questionnaires assessed what patients thought was important, and Patient Experience questionnaires rated performance of primary care. Fifteen attributes of care were compared using Importance Performance Analysis, a method that simultaneously represents data on importance and performance of a service, enabling identification of its strengths and weaknesses. RESULTS: Patients rated both 'relational' and 'functional' aspects of care as important. Satisfaction with general practice could be improved by concentrating on specific aspects of access (ensuring that patients know how to access out-of-hours services and find it easy to get an appointment), and one aspect of empowerment (after their visit, patients feel able to cope better with their health problem/illness). However, for other attributes (e.g. proximity of the practice to a patient's house or, a short waiting time when contacting the practice), investing additional resources is not likely to increase patient satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Attributes needing most improvement concerned access to primary care and patient empowerment. More research is needed to identify how to improve access without generating unnecessary additional demand or compromising continuity of care.

Reducing emergency bed-days for older people? Network governance lessons from the 'Improving the Future for Older People' programme.

In 2007, the UK government set performance targets and public service agreements to control the escalation of emergency bed-days. Some years earlier, nine English local authorities had each created local networks with their health and third sector partners to tackle this increase. These networks formed the 'Improving the Future for Older People' initiative (IFOP), one strand of the national 'Innovation Forum' programme, set up in 2003. The nine sites set themselves one headline target to be achieved jointly over three years; a 20 per cent reduction in the number of emergency bed-days used by people aged 75 and over. Three ancillary targets were also monitored: emergency admissions, delayed discharges and project sustainability. Collectively the sites exceeded their headline target. Using a realistic evaluation approach, we explored which aspects of network governance appeared to have contributed to these emergency bed-day reductions. We found no simple link between network governance type and outcomes. The governance features associated with an effective IFOP network appeared to suggest that the selection and implementation of a small number of evidence-based services was central to networks' effectiveness. Each service needed to be coordinated by a network-based strategic group and hierarchically implemented at operational level by the responsible network member. Having a network-based implementation group with a 'joined-at-the-top' governance structure also appeared to promote network effectiveness. External factors, including NHS incentives, health reorganisations and financial targets similarly contributed to differences in performance. Targets and financial incentives could focus action but undermine horizontal networking. Local networks should specify which interventions network structures are intended to deliver. Effective projects are those likely to be evidence based, unique to the network and difficult to implement through vertical structures alone.

Personalization in the health care system: do personal health budgets have an impact on outcomes and cost?

OBJECTIVES: In England's National Health Service, personal health budgets are part of a growing trend to give patients more choice and control over how health care services are managed and delivered. The personal health budget programme was launched by the Department of Health in 2009, and a three-year independent evaluation was commissioned with the aim of identifying whether the initiative ensured better health- and care-related outcomes and at what cost when compared to conventional service delivery. METHODS: The evaluation used a pragmatic controlled trial design to compare the outcomes and costs of patients selected to receive a personal health budget with those continuing with conventional support arrangements (control group). Just over 1000 individuals were recruited into the personal health budget group and 1000 into the control group in order to ensure sufficient statistical power, and followed for 12 months. RESULTS: The use of personal health budgets was associated with significant improvement in patients' care-related quality of life and psychological wellbeing at 12 months. Personal health budgets did not appear to have an impact on health status, mortality rates, health-related quality of life or costs over the same period. With net benefits measured in terms of care-related quality of life on the adult social care outcome toolkit measure, personal health budgets were cost-effective: that is, budget holders experienced greater benefits than people receiving conventional services, and the budgets were worth the cost. CONCLUSION: The evaluation provides support for the planned wider roll-out of personal health budgets in the English NHS after 2014 in so far as the localities in the pilot sample are representative of the whole country.

Does integrated governance lead to integrated patient care? Findings from the innovation forum.

Good integration of services that aim to reduce avoidable acute hospital bed use by older people requires frontline staff to be aware of service options and access them in a timely manner. In three localities where closer inter-organisational integration was taking place, this research sought patients' perceptions of the care received across and within organisational boundaries. Between February and July 2008, qualitative methods were used to map the care journeys of 18 patients (six from each site). Patient interviews (46) covered care received before, at the time of and following a health crisis. Additional interviews (66) were undertaken with carers and frontline staff. Grounded theory-based approaches showed examples of well-integrated care against a background of underuse of services for preventing health crises and a reliance on 'traditional' referral patterns and services at the time of a health crisis. There was scope to raise both practitioner and patient awareness of alternative care options and to expand the availability and visibility of care 'closer to home' services such as rapid response teams. Concerns voiced by patients centred on the adequacy of arrangements for organising ongoing care, while family members reported being excluded from discussions about care arrangements and the roles they were expected to play. The coordination of care was also affected by communication difficulties between practitioners (particularly across organisational boundaries) and a lack of compatible technologies to facilitate information sharing. Finally, closer organisational integration seemed to have limited impact on care at the patient/practitioner interface. To improve care experienced by patients, organisational integration needs to be coupled with vertical integration within organisations to ensure that strategic goals influence the actions of frontline staff. As they experience the complete care journey, feedback from patients can play an important role in the service redesign agenda.

Creating a community coalition to address violence.

Building a community-wide coalition to address violence evolved out of a five-year federally funded project on abuse during pregnancy. The setting for this coalition building is Haverhill, Massachusetts, a city of about 60,000, located northeast of Boston in the Merrimack River Valley. For nearly eight years, representatives of more than 30 agencies and institutions have been meeting monthly and creating programs and strategies to address violence in homes, schools, and neighborhoods, and designing interventions for children witnessing this violence. The purpose of this article is to describe the process of coalition building and provide an analysis of this work.