The notion of integrated care has evolved over the years and has begun to recognise the need to take a more population-oriented approach to promote public health, prevent ill-health and secure wellbeing for populations.
Yet, for the most part, public health has remained somewhat separate to the planning and purchasing of health and social care services and, as a result, public health interventions have often tended to operate in separate silos to traditional care provision. This article supports the case for a ‘fifth wave’ in the evolution of public health to address population health and raise awareness of the societal value of good health, recognising the importance of social networks and the benefit of focusing on both health and wellbeing.
By examining three international case studies, the paper concludes that the move towards more place-based accountable care systems is required to enable the transformational change necessary to adequately respond to today’s health system challenges.
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