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.
Various countries around the world are going on this journey and experiencing their own challenges. Exchanging experiences has been always useful, especially if it leads to the implementation of best practices.
Reflecting on the variables which prevent or foster progress and considering different tactics to realize the expected outcomes of integrated care raises a variety of questions. For instance: are we really aligning around a vision for a more integrated system– or is it merely rhetoric – and is it really necessary to do so? Are the sources of data and information so fragmented that it is impacting on achieving positive outcomes? What should be the role of the citizen/patient in the context of a person-centric model? How can local systems best evidence tangible progress?
In order to discuss the current and future challenges and opportunities for integrated health and care in Ireland, a roundtable “Integrating Health and Social Care in Ireland: How to Achieve Implementation Success” took place in partnership with IBM Health and Human Services Research Institute on Thursday, 11 October at the IBM Design Studio in Dublin, Ireland.
This roundtable event is followed by the IFIC Ireland Founders Meeting. Following the successful hosting of the 17th International Conference on Integrated Care in Dublin, Ireland in May 2017, IFIC has been seeking to develop with core Partners the creation of an IFIC Ireland Collaboration Centre. The core mission of IFIC Ireland is to develop capacity and capabilities Ireland in the design and delivery of integrated care. IFIC Ireland seeks to achieve this by providing a platform to develop and exchange ideas and promote activities in the region in keeping with its mission.
Speaking about the launch of IFIC Ireland, Founding Member and Co-Director, Prof Áine Carroll, Professor of Healthcare Integration and Improvement, University College Dublin/National Rehabilitation Hospital said “This is an exciting new venture for those tasked with the design and delivery of integrated care in Ireland. We need to move from evolution to revolution in integrated care. We aspire to advance the science, knowledge and adoption of integrated care in policy and practice in Ireland and internationally, while enabling the exchange of ideas among academics, researchers, managers, clinicians, policy makers and users and carers of services. We want to celebrate what is working in Ireland and how that can be transferred to the international community, and work with business partners to improve technology and other innovations that will support the advancement of integrated care and better outcomes for patients and communities.”
For more information and to stay up to date with all IFIC Ireland activities visit www.integratedcarefoundation.org/ireland