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Inaugural ERPIC Journal Club

The International Foundation for Integrated Care (IFIC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Niamh Lennox-Chhugani as Chief Executive Officer with effect from 22 March 2021.

Despite many studies evaluating the effectiveness of integrated care, evidence remains inconsistent. Increasingly, commentary on the subject of integrated care evaluation is pointing out the mismatch between the ability to capture the impact of integrated care initiatives and programmes, and the selection of the most appropriate methodology to do this.

Over each of the last 8 years, IFIC has been a consortium partner for many EU-funded project with most focusing on older people living with complex health and/ or social care needs. Many of our projects have examined how ICT can enable the delivery of care services and provide better outcomes and experiences for patients,…

The International Foundation for Integrated Care’s move into digital education came about from years of delivering successful Summer Schools and Accelerated Learning Programmes in Europe and Winter Schools in the Asia Pacific region. Covid19 restrictions meant that our normal timetable of Summer Schools and Accelerated Learning Programmes were to be put on hold for the…

During 2020 ERPIC underwent some changes: the two founding members of the executive team, Mudi Kadu and Henriikka Laurola, resigned due to an overload of commitments. Their passion and purpose endure as we forge ahead in fortifying the ERPIC network. With this aim, we have created a Charter to formalize the aims, structure, and operations…

In July, IFIC Ireland convened its first formal meeting of its Steering Group members. IFIC Ireland Steering Group will help take forward IFIC’s mission and aims across the region on a more sustained basis, and a commitment to advise, discuss and prioritize IFIC Ireland’s future activities in the region. The Steering Group will have a…

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times….. that pretty much sums up 2020. The dreadful global impact of COVID-19 disrupted our workplan but IFIC Scotland still managed to achieve some key milestones. In March we successfully concluded our Transforming Together project with colleagues from São Paulo State Secretary of Health…

The year 2020 will be forever defined by COVID-19 and its global impact. In Australia – through a mixture of good fortune, a favourable geography, and aggressive policy – the impact has thankfully been orders of magnitude less than most other countries in the world. In terms of the health and care system a long-term…

IFIC Communications team in conversation with Jodeme Goldhar, Co-Director of IFIC Canada and Treasurer of the Foundation looks back on 2020 and what we have to look forward to for IFIC Canada in 2021. You played a key role in developing the Foundation’s report “Realising the true Value of Integrated Care” – what did your…

The following presentation of Prof. Áine Carroll, IFIC Ireland co-director and IFIC Board member, describes current lessons learnt in the design and delivering of integrated people-centred health services in Ireland.

As Europe’s population ages, and societal changes lead to greater isolation for older citizens, loneliness is responsible for a decrease in quality of life for a large part of European society.

This report wants to raise the alarm about the Covid-19 pandemic and how it affects people with disabilities, including people with intellectual disabilities. The report talks about the results of the Covid-19 Disability Rights Monitor.

The Health Care Home (HCH) mode was, first implemented in New Zealand in 2011. It was inspired by the Seattle-based Group Health model and adapted for the publicly funded and general practice gatekeeper role in New Zealand. Capital and Coast District Health Board commissioned IFIC to undertake an evaluation of the CCDHB region’s implementation of the Health Care Home model over the July-August 2020 period.

The twin challenges of last summer’s bushfires, swiftly followed by the COVID-19 pandemic, have exposed critical bottlenecks and vulnerabilities in the Australian health system

Can we function as one system, identify with the shared values and vision, and believe that everybody can be a partner in the care of each other when many societies structurally impoverish, marginalise, deprive, neglect or abandon some of their communities? The pandemic has highlighted that some communities and groups are systematically neglected and unprotected.

First, what is integrated mental health care- it is a mental health care system that should encompass clear and seamless care pathways that match the intensity and type of care with the severity and complexity of the illness that people experience over time. For most people living with mental illness in Australia these care pathways are often difficult to find and often unaffordable.
Improving mental health care services has been a focus of the Bupa Health Foundation since its beginnings some 15 years ago.

In June 2020, the International Journal of Integrated Care celebrated a further growth in its impact factor rating to 2.753 – it’s highest rating to date. This reflects a growing level of citations for the Journal that have risen from 341 in 2012 to 1,245 in 2019.

The challenges posed by COVID-19 present an opportunity to rethink fragmented health and dependency care systems so that they are integrated, driven by individuals and communities, and resilient to future systemic crises.

Integrated care systems and communities provide greater resilience in adapting and coping with such urgent and complex problems. The COVID 19 pandemic may prove to be a catalyst in rethinking how health and care systems work in ways that better protect the vulnerable and are better prepared to cope with emerging systemic shocks.

As part of the 20th International Conference on Integrated Care, taking place online in September, IFIC is creating a short sound-byte video, documenting people’s lives throughout the months of COVID.

Governments across high-income countries are challenged to contain the relentless increase in health expenditure, which is partly driven by ageing populations and an associated increase in the prevalence of chronic disease.

The Journal Impact Factors for 2019 have been released and IJIC’s have once again increased, to 2.753.
In 2012, our rating was 1.299, so our impact factor has more than doubled in these 7 years. This reflects our citations increasing from 341 in 2012 to 1,245 in 2019.

In Ireland, the ValueCare project focuses on co-designing a digital solution to help older people (≥75) experiencing mild to moderate frailty to live independently in their homes

In 2011, IJIC produced a special collection of articles which reviewed integrated care developments in a number of countries. Ten years on, there has been collective progress across the world in recognising the importance of integrated care and integrated care is becoming a reality for more people.

Celebrating the 4th anniversary of the approval of the WHO Framework on integrated and people-centred health services: progress and opportunities ahead

Today IFIC launches “Realising the true value of integrated care: Beyond COVID-19”, a thought leadership report which states that Covid19 presents an opportunity to reset our fragmented health and care systems so that they are integrated, driven by people and communities and resilient in the face of future systemic shocks.

The second in IFIC’s “Care during and beyond the COVID-19 Crisis – Building integrated care as the cornerstone of our new reality” webinar series took place on 24 April. This webinar was organized in association with IFIC Australia and chaired by Professor Nick Goodwin, Chair of IFIC Australia and Director of the Central Coast Research Institute. The webinar focused on “Supporting Community Resilience in times of Public Health Crisis”

How can we plan for a post pandemic future that better supports the poor and the underserved? Hard questions for any society, even tougher for low and middle income economies with high levels of social inequality and where the policy discourse is rarely followed by change at pace.

The first in IFIC’s “Care during and beyond the COVID-19 Crisis – Building integrated care as the cornerstone of our new reality” webinar series took place on Wednesday, 8th April and was attended by 250 delegates representing 40 countries.
In this webinar series we will be offering an opportunity for our network to hear about the integrated care approaches implemented and considerations being made around the world to address people’s continued care and support needs beyond the immediate public health issues and crisis management.

Information relating to upcoming webinars, courses and events due to the COVID-19 travel and other restrictions.

Join the live streaming discussion between public health experts from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, England, Mexico and Peru.

In October 2018 researchers and service providers met in Orange NSW to consider the challenges in addressing consistently poor mental health outcomes in rural and remote Australian communities. They concluded that rural mental health services are not working, despite increases in government funding.

Euriphi is an EU-funded project introducing innovation and integrated solutions in health and care systems in Europe through cross-border value-based innovation procurement. IFIC are proud consortium partners of this project and would appreciate your time in filling out the following survey.

TaoHealth Research & Implementation are conducting research into the role evaluation plays in evidence-informed decision-making specifically in population health and care systems.

The transformation of healthcare systems is highly complex and, as such, the health and social care authorities in charge of system redesign are seeking support to improve their capacity for integrated care.

All the SCIROCCO Exchange Partners have been very busy over the Autumn period. We have been moving forward with the work on the different Work Packages; maturity assessment process and mapping of capacity-building assets in particular.

DigitalHealthEurope has launched their 2020 twinning scheme. A budget of € 400,000 has been allocated to fund 28 twinnings committed to scaling up digital health and care. The twinnings are fully funded actions, providing you with the personnel and travel resources to scale up solutions enabling the digital transformation of health and care.

A ship without a compass? The case for a more intimate relationship between research, policy and practice to enable the more successful adoption of integrated care

Galileo Pérez-Hernández, Board Member of IFIC and Nieves Ehrenberg, Senior Researcher discuss the value and importance of the Foundation’s work in Latin America and the efforts to develop a regional hub to support capacity building around integrated care across the region.

Over the years, the European Forum Alpbach summer school has gained an international reputation for its high-quality speakers and comprehensive tackling of the issues surrounding health and social care reforms.

As integrated care programmes are implemented all over the country, the Irish Dental Association spoke to IFIC Ireland Co-Director, Dr Áine Carroll about what integrated care is, and how oral health might fit in this vision of our health service.

The transformation of healthcare systems is highly complex and, as such, the health and social care authorities in charge of system redesign are seeking support to improve their capacity for integrated care.

EHMA is pleased to invite you to their 2020 Winter School!
Join the small, interactive sessions led by highly experienced trainers from leading European universities. Learn about a more collaborative approach to leadership vs. the traditional top-down system; recognising and applying soft skills for more effective leadership; and how to self-identify and hone these skills.EHMA is pleased to invite you to their 2020 Winter School!

For the first time since it joined the European Union, Croatia took over the presidency of the Council of the Union on 1 January 2020. During a six-month period, Croatia will lead the work of the Council, building co-operation and agreement between member states. With their slogan “A strong Europe in a world of challenges” the country wants to focus on sustainable development, a networked economy, safety and positioning Europe as a global leader.

What a year we have had at the International Foundation for Integrated Care! We continue to grow at pace and our network extends to all corners of the world.

In 2019 IFIC became consortium partners of the ERIPHI project. The project Introduces innovation and integrated care solutions in Europe’s health and social care systems through cross-border value-based innovation procurement.

European survey on what different stakeholders value in integrated care launched in collaboration with the World Health Organization, Tilburg University and Vilans have launched a European survey researching what values matter to different people in integrated care. The web-based survey is aimed at a broad variety of stakeholders: researchers, policymakers, managers, professionals, informal carers and user representatives across the 28 EU member states.

IFIC Ireland in partnership with the Health and Social Care Board Northern Ireland and the Health Service Executive (Ireland) hosted a workshop on Integrated Care in Ireland at the Waterfront Hall, Belfast on November 29th last.

Congratulations to IFIC Senior Associate Anne Hendry who has been confirmed as the British Geriatrics Society (BGS) next deputy honorary secretary.
Based in Scotland, Professor Anne Hendry is currently a Senior Associate for the International Foundation for Integrated Care and is involved in the European Joint Action on Frailty. Anne chaired the organising committee for ICIC15 in Edinburgh and in 2016 took up a new role as IFICs Senior Associate in Scotland.

Congratulations to Sydney Local Health District (SLHD) for taking out the Collaboration Award in the 2019 Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Sector Management. The ‘Creating Healthy Homes and Neighbourhoods’ initiative delivers cross-agency care coordination to ensure vulnerable families have their health and social needs met, and are connected to society.

On 4 December 2019, DigitalHealthEurope will conduct the workshop “Improving Availability and Use of Secondary Health Data” at the EHTEL 2019 Symposium in Barcelona “Imagine 2029: Our data, our health, our care”.

On 19 September the Belarus Red Cross Society (BRC) in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus, and with the support of the Swiss Red Cross, hosted an international conference entitled “Integrated home-based care: modern approaches and key challenges”.

The creation of an active Integrated Care Community in Latin America has been a long-term aspiration for IFIC.

SCIROCCO Exchange is a 32 month project co funded by the Health Programme of the European Union incorporating 14 collaborative partners across Europe and started on 1st January 2019.

Welcome to ERPIC!
To uphold our ethos of inclusivity of anyone early in a career, we are now officially the:
Emerging Researchers and Professionals in Integrated Care .
After our first formal year as the ERPIC Executive team (2018/19), we have all decided to stay on in order to complete our goals for the network. In order to balance our ERPIC commitments with our own research and professional responsibilities, we have reshuffled the team.

It’s been a busy time in IFIC Ireland this autumn with webinars, speaking engagements, our inaugural Accelerated Learning Program and we have some updates regarding our upcoming events. First, we are postponing the National Forum to May 2020 to allow the inclusion of a number of SláinteCare initiatives that are only now getting underway. All details are below and for anyone who has submitted an abstract, your paper will be considered for our alternative date.

IFIC Scotland, the Scottish hub for the International Foundation for Integrated Care, continues to expand its Scottish network of professionals, people with lived experience, academics, policy makers and organisations involved in implementing integrated care in Scotland.

Making integrated care a reality is one of the most important opportunities in front of us. It is time to improve the experience and outcomes of care, value for money, and to fundamentally shift where and how care is accessed and provided. In many ways, the opportunity in front of us is a universal movement for health system improvement.

ICIC20 is now Accepting Late Submissions until Thursday, 31 October. While it is hard to find time, do not miss this opportunity to showcase your work in the beautfiul city of Šibenik.

The public review of HSO’s new Integrated People-Centred Health Systems standard is taking place between September 6th, 2019 and October 6, 2019.

At the end of September, Interim CEO Toni Dedeu and senior researchers Nieves Ehrenberg and Monica Sorensen will travel to Vancouver, Canada to the 3rd Transnational Forum for Integrated Community Care (TransForm) conference

From a global perspective the Australia health system is considered to be high quality, accessible and innovative delivering good patient outcomes.

I am delighted to be writing this blog as the new Chair of IFIC Australia and, in so doing, to pay tribute to our outgoing Chair – Peter McGeorge – for his commitment and enthusiasm over the past 2 years

A core objective of IFIC Australia is to help support the effective implementation of integrated care in policy and practice. The IFIC Australia initiative reflects the growing focus at State and Federal level on person-centred integrated care as a means to promote better value in the way health and care services are delivered

The public review of HSO’s new Integrated People-Centred Health Systems standard is taking place between September 6th, 2019 and October 6, 2019.

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IFIC Australia welcomes its new consortium Partner, comprising Sydney LHD, South Eastern Sydney LHD and Central and Eastern Sydney PHN.

We all know that personal development takes time. It is a lifelong experience that allows us to incorporate new skills and qualities so that we can better face current and future challenges.

We all know that personal development takes time. It is a lifelong experience that allows us to incorporate new skills and qualities so that we can better face current and future challenges.

On June 4th 2019, IFIC met with the steering committee of the Transnational Forum on Integrated Community Care (TransForm) in Brussels.

On June 4th 2019, IFIC met with the steering committee of the Transnational Forum on Integrated Community Care (TransForm) in Brussels.

IFIC’s Acting CEO & Director of Programmes Dr Toni Dedeu will present at the Mobilizing Knowledge for Elder Empowerment (MKEE) Forum held at McGill University in Montreal on July 11-12, 2019, is a timely response to this pressing problem.

IFIC’s Director of Programmes Dr Toni Dedeu will attend the Person centred integrated care services. Care in primary health Conference

The final conference of SELFIE will be held on June 13 2019 in the Eye Film Museum Amsterdam on Thursday, 13 June.

Through a series of four conferences, TransForm is exploring the undoubted potential this new and diffuse concept of integrated community care presents.

On the 17th April 2019, Nick Goodwin hosted a seminar at the University of Newcastle’s Sydney Campus to examine the international evidence and experience in coordination of care to older people with complex needs in the home environment.

There are many innovations in integrated care ongoing in Australia and worldwide, but most often there is a lack of awareness or appreciation of these projects in how they have been designed and implemented and the impact they have made.

ICIC19 in San Sebastian provided the first opportunity for VIGOUR partners to share their work with an external audience after the start of the project in January 2019.VIGOUR contributed to two important workshops on capacity and capability building to implement and scale-up integrated care programmes and solutions

With regret this is my last newsletter as Chair of IFIC Australia, as I stepped down from the role at our last Partners meeting in April.

Collaboration is at heart of integrated care. Responding to the differing needs, aspirations and contexts of individuals and their families is beyond the gift and expertise of a single profession.

Here Nieves Ehrenberg, Senior Researcher at the International Foundation for Integrated Care (IFIC) provides a summary of a session focusing on funding and financing at ICIC19.

Here Nieves Ehrenberg, Senior Researcher at the International Foundation for Integrated Care (IFIC) provides a summary of a session focusing on end of life care at ICIC19

The IFIC Integrated Care Awards are selected based on quality of content, originality and quality of presentation. The awards are supported by the Foundation and are in recognition of the advancement of the science, knowledge and adoption of integrated care policy and practice.

Have you ever tried to cook something outside of the dish’s country of origin? It tastes different. No matter how thoroughly you read and follow a recipe. It still tastes different. The soil, the air, the water, in essence, the elements that affect the ingredients are different.

This growing following is testament to the continued interest in integrated care as one of the few truly promising routes to improving care and outcomes that is relevant for all people living in different contexts and settings.

Due to the expiration of terms of board members, the IFIC Board currently has vacancies for new board members. Appointments are to serve a three-year term, with the option for one re-appointment of three years. Appointment of the new members will be in September 2019.

The European Commission, Directorate-General Health and Food Safety, in collaboration with the International Foundation for Integrated Care (IFIC), organised a workshop and a marketplace on “capacity building and technical support for implementing integrated care” in the context of the 19th International Conference on Integrated Care (ICIC19), 1-3 April 2019, in San Sebastian, Spain.

Seeing the San Sebastián Kursaal Congress Centre brimming with over 1,300 colleagues interested in integrated care, a record to date at ICIC conferences, was a great pleasure for everyone who has been involved in organising ICIC19 to a greater or less extent, particularly after a year of intense work.

The ICIC 2019 conference in Donostia-San Sebastian was a wonderful opportunity for Canadians to learn who in Canada is working to better understand, improve and advance integrated care.

In February of 2018 I got an email from Jodeme Goldhar, Executive Lead – Strategy and Innovation at The Change Foundation asking if I would be interested in speaking with her at a keynote address of ICIC2018 in Utrecht, Holland

In April 2019, I had the privilege of attending my 6th International Conference on Integrated Care (ICIC), the annual conference hosted by the International Foundation for Integrated Care (IFIC).

The Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association (AHHA) is Australia’s national peak body for public and not-for-profit hospitals and healthcare providers.

Integrated care is a well-established concept amongst health policy makers and system leaders in Australia. However it is still considered by many to be a means of improving outcomes and experience of care for older adult populations. Children and young people are often left out of the conversation.

Integrated care is increasingly present in the priorities of Australia’s healthcare, from the work of our primary care services to the policy settings within government.

The National Mental Health Commission (NMHC) announced Dr Elizabeth Schroeder, IJIC Editor as a new member from 3 April 2019 to 31 January 2021.

Having a place at the oval table with the flags of the G7 countries was intimidating. Nevertheless, the cordial greetings from the delegates showed their receptivity as they trickled in to take their seats for the Second G7 Working group of Health Experts meeting.

On Friday April 26, the day before Kings day, our former IFIC president and one of the ‘founding fathers’ Guus Schrijvers got a royal decoration from mayor Van Zanen in his city Utrecht, the Netherlands

A good start to an ambitious project: From 13-14 February the 17 VIGOUR partners met for the first time in Luxembourg

From 1-3 April, VIGOUR attended the 19th International Conference on Integrated Care. During the conference, the project took part in two workshops on integrated care capacity building

Person-centered integrated care is an actual topic of development in the European countries, because the amount of people who need and use several different services is growing fast, and at the same time the budgets of care are diminishing. The individuals who might benefit from integrated care should be identified as early as possible to provide them timely, seamless and cost-effective integrated care and support.

The ACT@Scale consortium is thrilled to host its Final workshop in collaboration with the International Conference on Integrated Care 2019. The collaboration with ICIC19 supports the synergy between ACT@Scale’s primary focus on implementation and scaling up, and ICIC19’s general focus on integrated care.

Coordinated and integrated care is a critical part of a fit for purpose 21st century healthcare system that meets the 21st century needs and expectations of Australians. The Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association (AHHA) has worked extensively with members and the broader health sector to articulate a vision for value-based, outcomes-focused and patient centred care,

IFIC Australia has made solid progress since our last newsletter with work done by partners on developing case studies based on work in their services, responses to the Productivity Commission report on Integrated Care and planning for the 2nd Asia-Pacific (APIC) conference.

When IFIC Australia was founded in November 2015, one of its core objectives was to provide a platform through which to develop and exchange ideas to advance science and knowledge in Australia and on an international stage.

On 13th of March 2019 in Brussels, IFIC’s Maggie Langins, Toni Dedeu and Nick Goodwin took part in the final conference for SUSTAIN. The conference marked the end of the 4 year Horizon 2020 project which worked in close collaboration with health and social care staff in 13 sites across 7 countries in Europe to improve integrated care for older people with complex conditions at home.

Emerging Researchers in Integrated Care (ERIC) proudly presents four exciting workshops as part of the 19th Conference on Integrated Care (ICIC19)

Synsana seeks to strengthen health and care services, to have greater impact on Health Care systems and clinicians, across treatment and care settings and geographies, and to better align with the clinical and personal needs of citizens throughout their lives. Synsana was formed in 2016, as an European Economic Interest Grouping registered in the UK

Prof. Nick Goodwin, co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the International Foundation for Integrated Care, has accepted the appointment as Director of the Central Coast Research Institute (CCRI) that will be based within the Health and Wellbeing Precinct on the Gosford Hospital campus. Developed in partnership between the University of Newcastle and Central Coast Local Health District (CCLHD),

Led by IFIC Australia’s co-directors – Prof. David Perkins and Prof. Nick Goodwin – this round-table session is designed to bring together delegates from Australia and the Asia-Pacific to learn more about IFIC’s approach to developing collaborative centres and networking activities across the Region.

Today, 8th March is International Women’s Day and we would like to take the opportunity to once again recognise some of the great women who are advancing the science, knowledge and adoption of Integrated Care around the world. Here is a selection of some of our very best presentations that took place in 2018 from women leaders who are working tirelessly to make excellent patient care and experience a reality for people, their families and communities worldwide.

Joint WE4AHA/Blueprint – DHE will be holding a workshop at the eHealth Summit in Lisbon, Portugal on 20th and 21st March.

Final report from the Ministerial Strategic Group for Health and Community Care reviews the progress and draws together the proposals for ensuring the success of integration.

IFIC’s Dr Viktoria Stein recently joined colleagues from IFIC Scotland in a new collaboration with São Paulo State Health Department as part of their ambitious state-wide Health in Action Programme.

Jodeme Goldhar made an impact at ICIC18 in Utrecht when she stood alongside caregiver Carole Ann Alloway to deliver an impassioned keynote on Transformation Through Integration

Mobilising community resources and engaging citizens to take control of their own health and welfare is the focus for the next TransForm conference.

Dr Dedeu, who was invited by the WHO, will be one of the panellists on a session to discuss ‘Comprehensive health system response to NCDs and opportunities for leapfrogging’

IFIC Special Interest Group (SIG) Advanced Education in Integrated Care, led by Anne Wojtak (University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada) and Cara English (Cummings Graduate Institute, Arizona, US)

IFIC Senior Fellow Maggie Langins joined more than 60 participants during the ‘Workshop on integrated delivery of health and social services for older people’ held at the WHO European Centre for Primary Health Care in Almaty, Kazakhstan, from December 11 to 13.

IFIC was represented at the recent European Regions for Health, EUREGHA, high-level ‘Changing Today for Tomorrow’ conference in Brussels.Director of Programme Dr Toni Dedeu was one of about 70 delegates from organisations across Europe participating in the conference to plan the heath care of tomorrow.

Poland’s Ministry of Health, MOH, has embarked on a series of reforms and advancements in nursing development which have contributed to improved health outcomes for the population.

Dr. h.c. Helmut Hildebrandt talks values, Rome-like circus arenas and business models as he sets out the five components required to replicate and transfer Integrated Care experiences.

The Central Coast LHD is one of three demonstrator sites of the NSW Health Integrated Care Strategy that took place from July 2014 – June 2017

IFIC’s Director of Education and Training is our third career panellist. Here she talks about her career path, the importance of embracing challenges and opportunities, and how being tenacious really does pay dividends

After three years working with IFIC, Dr Viktoria Stein taken a one-year sabbatical. Dr Stein, who was most recently Director for Education and Training, led the Integrated Care Academy to become a successful arm of the Foundation, delivering training around the world.

Registration has opened and from now until Friday, 15 February you can get a 10% discount on the cost of the week-long course

The next EHPG meeting will be in Bologna hosted by Valentine Di Gregori (Gvm Care and Research) and Professor Cristina Ugolini (Advanced School for Health Policy, University of Bologna) on 11 and 12 April 2019. More information on the logistics of the meeting will be provided soon.

Hi all. The end of the year is approaching rapidly so it’s time to reflect on how IFICA has progressed over the course of past months and to take a peek at what’s planned for next year.

Dr Dedeu is a highly experienced practitioner, manager and decision-maker in both health and social care delivery and is passionate about furthering the advancement of Integrated care

In the inspiring landscape of Orange, at the Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health of the University of Newcastle a group of integrated care enthusiasts gathered on Monday, 29 October, to start a week-long Accelerated Learning Course on “Designing and Implementing Integrated Care”.

IFIC has welcomed two new members to the team Monica Sørensen and Edelweiss Aldasoro who bring a wealth of experience to the Foundation.

The move is part of the NHS’ on-going review to ensure people living in all parts of the country have equal access to services according to their need. The Atlas of Variation series has previously been used to highlight variations and act as a springboard for releasing resources for re-investment.

Within the Health Policy Platform Thematic Network 2019, DG Sante has selected the proposal for Thematic Network proposed by Funka called “Enhancing citizen and patient empowerment and digital health literacy (EDHEAL)”

IFIC’s Senior Fellow Maggie Langins and Junior Researcher Jenna McArthur joined colleagues at the SUSTAIN consortium in Utrecht, Netherlands, to finalise a roadmap aimed at providing better care for older people.

IFIC has signed a knowledge partnership with the International Network of Integrated Care in Nursing (INICN)

On the 9th November, IFIC Australia hosted a symposium at NSW Parliament House examining international evidence and experience in the organisation, funding and evaluation of integrated care. Led by Dr Apostolos Tsiachristas (Oxford University), Dr Liz Schroeder (Macquarie University), and Dr Viktoria Stein (IFIC) the symposium explored trends and approaches in the organisation of care services to improve population health and sought to put the debate in the context of the Australian reality.

The International Foundation for Integrated Care has developed global reach in the last few years and now boasts a network of approximately 19,000 individuals and organisations across more than 50 countries worldwide. This growth has been particularly strong in the Asia-Pacific region where IFIC has been undertaking conferences

The Macquarie University Centre for the Health Economy (MUCHE) is based in Sydney, Australia. It is a University led strategic initiative to undertake innovative research on health, ageing and human services.

Our CEO, Dr.Nick Goodwin, reflects on the prospects for the development of alliances in Australia following the Transformers 3 workshop programme held in Byron Bay and Coffs Harbour between 5th and 8th November 2018 in partnership with the Centre for Healthcare Knowledge and Innovation.

A joint Primary Care and Hospital Sector program for heightened care for high-risk patients through the 2017 influenza season in Northern NSW has led to ongoing refinement for 2018 and beyond.

Economic evaluation for integrated care is a peculiar task, perhaps not unlike tunnelling through spaghetti in a black hole, or aptly described by Tsiachristas et al as ‘a stairway suspended somewhere between heaven and hell’

Recognizing the need to manage the care of older people in a proactive and age-sensitive manner, colleagues at the Sandgate Road Surgery primary care medical centre in Folkestone, United Kingdom, have been working to manage emerging risks among older people and help maintain their independence at home.

I began my career in the healthcare arena 40 years ago. I hold a pharmacy diploma from Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany, but instead of working in pharmacies I decided to concentrate on community work and prevention.

International Medical Corps’ Toolkit aims to support the understanding and implementation of integrated mental health programs in humanitarian settings.

Making the Case for Integrated Community Care was the first in a series of conferences organised by TransForm, a joint initiative of the Network of European Foundations (NEF) supported by the International Foundation for Integrated Care (IFIC).

Dr Viktoria Stein was an international expert for the development of an Integrated Care Standard and Guideline being introduced by the Health Standards Organization for Accreditation Canada.

The International Foundation for Integrated Care (IFIC) is delighted to announce registration is now open for its popular Summer School which returns next June.

The International Foundation for Integrated Care’s Solutions service has embarked on a major project supporting Estonia’s new Social reforms, awarded and funded by the European Commission’s Structural Reform Support Service (SRSS).

Self Care Week is an annual national awareness week that focuses on embedding support for self care across communities, families and generations.

The Republic of China (Taiwan), a ’tiger economy’ of more than 23 million people, has been undergoing a strategic review of its health care system with the intention to initiate reforms that seek to embrace integrated and people-centred health services.

The IHPME’s annual Moonshot celebration takes place today, Tuesday, 16 October in the heart of downtown Toronto at the beautiful Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Dr Nick Goodwin, CEO of the International Foundation for Integrated Care is this year’s keynote address and will present the impact of integrated care around the world and consider recent developments in Canada as well as looking at opportunities and challenges for the future.

There is widespread agreement on the need in Ireland to bring forward the policy agenda on integrating health and care. A vision, combined with legislation and concrete instruments, are required to move to a more person-centred approach.

Jenna McArthur
Liaison Officer

In the first of a new career panel Q&A series, Nuria Toro, from the World Health Organisation, based in Geneva, talks about the multiple roads she travelled in her career and offers advice to the next generation of researchers and practitioners in integrated care.

Ahead of his presentation at the 27th EAHM Congress in Portugal last month, September 26 to 28, IFIC’s CEO Dr Nick Goodwin wrote an article for the Daily Congress publication, about ‘Ageing and Successful Healthcare Change’.

My year with IFIC was a highly enriching experience; I worked closely with Dr Viktoria Stein, IFIC’s Director of Education and Training, on a number of EU projects and was extensively involved in the development and subsequent launch of the Emerging Researchers in Integrated Care (ERIC) network.

IFIC is delighted to announce four new people have joined the management team of its student researchers and young professionals’ platform.

Since July 2017, IFIC’s Dr Viktoria Stein has been working with Accessible Quality Healthcare (AQH) to introduce integrated care in Kosovo. The AQH project is funded by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by a team of experts from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) and Save the Children, in close collaboration with the Kosovo Government and the Ministry of Health in particular.

IFIC is delighted to announce a book co-written by its directors and fellow Integrated Care experts has had more than 20,000 downloads.

Dr Liz Schroeder has been appointed Topic Editor in Health Economics and brings to IJIC unique expertise from both the UK and Australian contexts. Liz holds a doctorate in Public Health from the University of Oxford and is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for the Health Economy, Macquarie University (MUCHE) in Sydney, where she leads the Integrated Care stream of research.

Marie Curie, British Heart Foundation and Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland, on behalf of the Scottish Non-Malignant Palliative Care Forum, would like to invite you to a joint event, ‘Palliative Care for All – The Big Debate’, to explore palliative care in Scotland on Wednesday 5 September, 3 – 5pm in Edinburgh.

The reports present the integrated care sites participating in SUSTAIN and the different projects that were set up to support the improvement of integrated care, providing readers and stakeholders with a clear picture

Congratulations to IFIC’s Director of Education and Training Dr Viktoria Stein who has received the Medal of Honour award from the European Forum Alpbach (EFA).

Two documents have been created as part of a series of support technical products and tools to drive country implementation of the framework on Integrated People-Centred Health Services, (IPCHS).

A number of families living in our community experience many barriers to accessing health and social care. The problems that these families face are highly complex, often spanning over generations, and cannot be addressed by one agency alone.

Greetings! The past quarter has been a time of steady progress in the development of IFIC Australia (IFICA). Following on from what was a highly successful IFIC conference in Utrecht in May, a teleconference meeting of the Partners was held in June while, expressions of interest from new partners are being followed up, IFICA Webinars commenced and planning for an Accelerated Learning Program during the week of Oct 29th this year has been advanced.

Preparations have stepped up a gear as the TransForm team get ready to stage its first conference. Making the Case for Integrated Community Care will take place in Hamburg, Germany, from September 24 to 26. This week the line-up of international expert speakers has been announced and the final six site visits have been confirmed.

Health services globally are under pressure from rising demand and associated fiscal pressures. It has been clear for some time that simply investing in our current hospital focused model of care is not the answer. To realise true value for investment and improve health outcomes we need to work differently.

As I write, the Australian media has been focussing in depth on drought in Australia for two weeks. It is as if those in metropolitan Australia have suddenly realised that rural farmers and communities are experiencing hardship and are at risk of psychological distress and mental illness.

IFIC Australia’s knowledge partner The Centre for Healthcare Knowledge & Innovation (the Centre) has a new look. On July 1, the North Coast Primary Health Network initiative transitioned to a consortium of some of the most effective and progressive service providers on the North Coast.

The University of the West of Scotland has introduced this new programme starting in September 2018. Do you work or have experience of Health and Social Care Integration across Public Sector for example: health, social care, housing, independent or third sector services?

The International Foundation of Integrated Care (IFIC) is looking to recruit a Director of Integrated Care Programmes to join its dynamic and dedicated team to help lead and grow IFIC’s range of activities as it transitions towards a truly global organization that seeks to advance the science, knowledge and adoption of integrated care in policy and practice around the world.

This call is an invitation for expressions of interest to become a ‘Senior Associate’ of the International Foundation for Integrated Care (IFIC). In this role, you will support and grow the work of the Foundation internationally and become actively involved in IFIC’s education and training programmes, research projects, implementation support services, and other activities.

An editorial team led by Henk Nies and Axel Kaehne is inviting expressions of interests from academics and other interested parties to contribute to an edited book on the implementation of integrated care.

Join the team of reviewers for the prestigious International Journal of Integrated Care (IJIC) Reviewers will be invited to evaluate article submissions and provide feedback in their area of expertise within the Integrated Care field.

A book co-written by IFIC’s directors and fellow Integrated Care experts has “outperformed” rival publications. IFIC’s CEO Dr Nick Goodwin and Director of education and Training Viktoria Stein worked alongside international colleagues to pen the ‘Handbook Integrated Care’.

Nine international faculty members, 23 participants from 16 countries, 16 World Cup matches and five days of glorious summer sunshine in Oxford. This was the recipe for the 2018 International Summer School on Integrated Care held at Wolfson College, Oxford, UK in June 2018.

Are you a flexible and enthusiastic early-career researcher or young professional looking for your next career step?

The annual International Summer School on Integrated Care (ISSIC) is a special highlight in IFIC’s calendar and this year’s edition was no exception. Held in the last week of June on the premises of Wolfson College, Oxford, and with glorious summer weather, the intensive residential course brought together the most diverse group so far

IFIC’s Director of Education and Training Dr Viktoria Stein is set to be awarded the Medal of Honour of the European Forum Alpbach.

Many stakeholders consider integrated care as fundamental in the reform of health and care systems in order to address the challenges associated with population ageing, the rising burden of chronic diseases and constraints in public resources.

SUSTAIN is coming to the end of a three-year collaboration between research partners, policy organizations and 13 clinical sites across nine countries including Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Spain, The Netherlands and the UK

This year’s International Conference on Integrated Care had tremendous provenance for me since it represented IFIC’s 18th birthday as an organisation in its original birthplace in Utrecht. As one of only two of the original members of that initial meeting in Almere to be present (the other being our former Chair, Guus Schrijvers)

Participants of the International Conference on Integrated Care (ICIC) visited Oss during one of the offered site visits in May 2018. Local residents and organizations create new solutions together in the district of Ruwaard, helping themselves and each other. A perfect example of integrated care.

The closing session on May 24 in Nieuwegein/Utrecht of the 18th International Conference on Integrated Care was the end of more than a year closely collaboration with IFIC staff, board, scientific committee. And, without exaggeration, it was a great pleasure! It was the first time that I was a co-host of an international event of this scale

‘The hospital of tomorrow is a network,’ said Jeroen Tas at the International Conference of Integrated Care (ICIC). Tas is head of innovation and digital innovation at Philips. Together with Mirella Minkman, Director of Innovation and Research at Vilans, he explored the future.

IFIC’s community of Special Interest Groups, SIGs, created a lot of buzz at ICIC18 in Utrecht.Delegates were given the opportunity to meet individual group leaders and attend workshops in areas including Population Health Management and Children, Young People and Families. Discussions for new topics were also launched at the conference, these included Digital Health, the role of Volunteers in Integrated Care and Education and Training.

Talk to IFIC’s Director of Education Viktoria Stein about our Fellowship programme and how we can support you to achieve your goals. IFIC’s Director of Education and Training Dr Viktoria Stein said: “Our fellowship programme is aimed at mid to high level care professionals and academics, managers and policy-makers

Early career researchers, practitioners and students were given a sneak preview of a new network aimed at supporting their journey in the Integrated Care field.
About 20 participants from around the world joined the inaugural meeting of the Early-career Researchers in Integrated Care (ERIC). The ‘virtual Town Hall’ meeting was held on March 8

ERIC’s goal is to create a platform for student researchers and young professionals working in, or interested in, the field of integrated care with 0-5 years of experience and/or in the process of doing their Master’s, PhDs or post-docs. Through supporting a community of early-career researchers across organisational and professional boundaries, we hope to not only bring people together to advance the science and knowledge behind integrated care, but also to enhance the adoption of health systems policy and practice.

Plans for this year’s International Summer School, ISSIC18, in Oxford, are being finalised and IFIC is looking forwards to welcoming delegates.
This sell-out event has attracted a diverse group with participants from Australia to Canada, Brunei, Japan, all over Europe, as well as Tunisia.
We are delighted to announce Anne Hendry, IFIC Scotland’s lead, has joined the list of prestigious speakers during the week-long course, as well as Nuria Toro from the World Health Organisation in Geneva.

The Consultant is expected to provide expertise to the management and development of the IntegratedCare4people web platform that supports the WHO Framework on IPCHS. We are inviting experts in website management and development as well as in social media management with a solid background on health systems and IPCHS.

Brief reflections from the IFIC Study Tour for the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health to Ireland and Catalunya. Recently I had the privilege and pleasure of working with Dr Nick Goodwin co-hosting a study tour for Optimity Advisors and their Client the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health looking at the health systems of Ireland and Catalonia in Spain.

Getting ill oneself is very instructive for a medical doctor (MD). When specializing as a young general practitioner I became quite ill myself. I was taken into hospital and had an operation

In 2008 Machteld Huber reported her research findings to the Health Council and to ZonMw. She had found that there are several possible levels of health. This struck a chord.

Organising comprehensive care for people is important. In healthcare jargon this is known as ‘multidisciplinary or coordinated care’, but this does not really cover it. Nor is the term ‘integrated care’, which connects different realms of life, entirely suitable.

IFIC Australia co-hosted an International Summer School in late March, aimed at supporting organisations to implement their integrated care strategies.

Developed in partnership with North Coast PHN and the Centre for Health Care Knowledge and Innovation, this event in Kingscliff was a sell-out, with a waiting list.

IFIC Australia signed a new Partnership with Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) aimed at strengthening its commitment to Integrated Care in New South Wales.

From May 1st, IFIC is launching a new webinar series for our members and followers across the Asia-Pacific that will examine how to support the effective and sustainable implementation of integrated care.

An online search tool to give researchers easy access to internationally published work on different aspects of Integrated Care has been launched.

Developed in partnership with North Coast PHN and the Centre for Health Care Knowledge and Innovation, this event in Kingscliff was a sell-out, with a waiting list.

An online search tool to give researchers easy access to internationally published work on different aspects of Integrated Care has been launched. IC Search was developed in partnership between IFIC Australia, Central Coast Local Health District, and Flinders Filters, of Flinders University.

An increasing number of organisations are looking to affiliate and partner with us, joining the growing ranks of the SW Sydney LHD and PHN, Western Sydney PHN and LHD (see below), North Coast PHN and Centre for Health Knowledge and Innovation, Central Coast LHD, NSW Agency for Innovation (ACI), Children’s Health Queensland and the Mater Research Institute – University of Queensland Centre for Health System Reform and Integration.

Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) is proud to be a new member of the International Foundation for Integrated Care (IFIC). Improving the way health and social policy service partners work together to improve the health and wellbeing of our population is a high priority in western Sydney

As part of IFIC Australia’s knowledge partnership with the Mater Research Institute – University of Queensland Centre for Health System Reform and Integration, Dr Nick Goodwin and Dr Viktoria Stein from IFIC were invited as guest speakers during the 4th International Health Care Reform Conference that was held at the Intercontinental Double Bay, Sydney, on 21st-23rd March.

The workshop examined the challenges for taking integrated care forward in Australia through the use of various assessment frameworks. Delegates attended from across Australia that included a diverse group of persons ranging from LHDs and PHNs to provider organisations and the university sector

I’m writing this blog following a week’s visit to the NSW Central Coast by our friends and colleagues from IFIC Australia and IFIC. These times are strongly valued by our Local Health District and partners because they provide the opportunity to educate our teams, reflect on our integrated care journey to date and to plan the next steps

As a hospital librarian, I have a particular interest in approaches to searching for published literature on complex topics. And Integrated Care is the most complex topic I have tackled to date! In 2015 the Central Coast Local Health District (CCLHD) in NSW, Australia, where I work, became a demonstrator site for the NSW Ministry of Health Integrated Care strategy and I was asked to do searches of the biomedical literature to support a number of projects.

Primary health care across Europe is celebrating a milestone birthday in 2018. This year marks 40 years since the signing of the Declaration of Alma-Ata and the moment will be celebrated in a week of events culminating in the anniversary conference from October 25 to 26, in Kazakhstan.

Mudi Kadu
President

The International Foundation for Integrated Care (IFIC) is very pleased to announce a formal memorandum of understanding with the World Health Organization (WHO).

We had a fantastic first year for IFIC Scotland. We found a new home in the International Centre for Integrated Care (IC4IC), hosted by the University of the West of Scotland, with IFIC and the Health and Social Care ALLIANCE Scotland as our founding partners, and supported by an enthusiastic cross sector Advisory Board.

IFIC’S CEO Dr Nick Goodwin and Director of Education and Training Viktoria Stein are mid-way through a visit to Australia to support the movement for change towards integrated care. This work forms part of the growing IFIC Australia collaborative centre co-hosted with CRRMH, University of Newcastle and with support from local Partners.

CEO Dr Nick Goodwin explains how IFIC’s new service, Integrated Care Solutions©, can support international clients transform current fragmented health systems and implement integrated care.“Over the past few years it has become clear that the integrated care movement has moved beyond making the case for change towards understanding and supporting how best to implement and manage integrated care programmes effectively.

IFIC Associate Robin Miller, also Joint Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Integrated Care, will be in the country in June to deliver a masterclass on ‘Creating high quality integrated care that delivers outcomes’.

Understanding how integrated delivery and payment models are being implemented is key in an era of value-based healthcare. Integrated care can be compared to a black box that may, or may not provide the ‘out of the box’ solutions needed to help improve patients’ care experiences and health, and to minimise costs

Earlier this month a small team representing the TransForm project landed in Hamburg for a series of site visits just as the temperature dropped to record levels across Europe.
The team, made up of Tinne Vandensande from the King Baudouin Foundation, IFIC’s Director of Education and Training Dr Viktoria Stein and Junior Researcher Henriikka Laurola

Today, 8th March is International Women’s Day and we would like to take the opportunity to once again recognise some of the great women who are advancing the science, knowledge and adoption of Integrated Care around the world. Here is a selection of some of our very best presentations that took place in 2017 from women leaders who are working tirelessly to make excellent patient care and experience a reality for people, their families and communities worldwide.