A Comparison of Integration Models for Professionals With Different Skills in Healthcare

Abstract

Integration between hospital and territory has to be faced as a critical aspect in modern health systems. The evolving of health care demand in Western countries leads the debate on health care system to focus on how to meet the needs of chronic diseases. Creating gatekeeper models for admission to health care facilities presumes a high level of integration between a wide variety of professions that interact in patients' therapy processes. This paper analyzes two models of integration of professionals with different skills: Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in United Kingdom health care system and Case della Salute (CdS) in Italian regional health care system of Emilia Romagna. The analysis of the two models highlights critical situations, strong points, and success critical factors in the two models. In particular, the analysis will highlight how the two systems faced the necessity to integrate the different category of professionals that, during the care process of a chronic patient, have to integrate in order to guarantee the continuity of the care process and the most effective response for the patient. This study highlights the methodologies used to share competences and knowledge on which the building of a system with high professional integration is based. Keywords: knowledge management, Case della Salute (CdS), clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), primary careKnowledge management is a business concept, which includes concerted, coordinated, and deliberate efforts to manage the organization's knowledge through the processes of creating, structuring, disseminating, and applying it to enhance organizational performance and create value (Bose, 2003).Knowledge management is a process of organizing and distributing an organization's collective wisdom so that the right information gets to the right people at the right time (Robbins, 2003).The most important goal for the public sector is related to the satisfaction of citizen needs. Public sector role is going to evolve from a quantity-oriented service to a service focused on quality and in * The results were presented at