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. IJIC now ranks in the first quartile of journals in Health Policy and Services (17/87) and in the second quartile for Health Care Sciences and Services (32/102). The improved impact factor also reflects the Journal’s growing readership with a total of more than 185,000 unique users in 2019 (a rise of 15% on the year) and some 235,000 article downloads. Respectively, Australian readership now ranks third of all countries internationally (at 8.5%), behind only the USA and UK, and second in overall article submissions (including conference abstracts), Undoubtedly, IJIC is fast becoming a popular Journal for health service researchers in Australia for their integrated care research.
Some key articles from Australia in recent months include:
Communication, Collaboration and Care Coordination: The Three-Point Guide to Cancer Care Provision for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians
Communication, collaboration and care coordination are integral in the provision of quality cancer care for Indigenous Australians. It is recommended that health policy and funding be designed to incorporate these aspects across services and settings as a strategy to improve cancer outcomes for Indigenous people in Queensland.
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Challenges to Introducing Integrated Diabetes Care to an Inner-Regional Area in South Western Sydney, Australia
This study highlights the need to integrate new diabetes services with existing health activities in the community and the importance of allowing flexibility and regular contact with local healthcare professional and community to encourage their involvement. Regular meetings with the funders, internal and external stakeholders are key for sustainability and to adapt programmes to the local situation. Further work is needed to identify and implement strategies to overcome these challenges.
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Communication and Coordination Processes Supporting Integrated Transitional Care: Australian Healthcare Practitioners’ Perspectives
Findings indicate that healthcare practitioners use a range of communication and coordination processes in optimising integrated transitional care. Although participants involved their patients in transitional care planning, most participants were unaware of the recent implementation of consumer-directed care. In contexts of community-based care shaped by multidisciplinary, sub-acute and CDC models, care integration must focus on improved communication with patients and carers to ascertain their needs and to support their increased responsibility in their care transitions.
Read the full article here!