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What is Integrated Care

Integrated care models are responsive to a person’s whole health needs; extending from prevention to end of life care, and encompassing all aspects of a person’s health from their mental to physical health.

These models emphasise the needs of the person receiving the care and seek to maximise their involvement across their care journey. Integrated care focuses on high quality communication and collaboration between all those involved in the care of a person – from a person’s GP, specialists in the hospital setting, community health providers, carers, and family members.

An integrated care approach ensures we are addressing individual experience, our population’s health needs, our local care teams’ wellbeing as well as reducing the overall cost of health care for both the individual and the health care system. These four pillars are better known as the Quadruple Aim and are widely accepted as a compass to optimise health system performance.

Whilst everyone can benefit from integrated care, it is particularly important for people living with chronic and complex health conditions. For these people, an integrated care approach can support them to manage their own health, keeping them well and out of hospital.