Abstract
Introduction:Facing the challenges of aging populations, increasing chronic diseases prevalence and health system fragmentation, there have been several pilots of integrated health systems in China. But little is known about their structure, mechanism and effectiveness. The aim of this paper is to analyze health system integration and develop recommendations for achieving integration.Method:Huangzhong and Hualong counties in Qinghai province were studied as study sites, with only Huangzhong having implemented health system integration. Questionnaires, interviews, and health insurance records were sources of data. Social network analysis was employed to analyze integration, through structure measurement and effectiveness evaluation.Results:Health system integration in Huangzhong is higher than in Hualong, so is system effectiveness. The patient referral network in Hualong has more “leapfrog” referrals. The information sharing networks in both counties are larger than the other types of networks. The average distance in the joint training network of Huangzhong is less than in Hualong. Meanwhile, there are deficiencies common to both systems.Conclusion:Both county health systems have strengths and limitations regarding system integration. The use of medical consortia in Huangzhong has contributed to system effectiveness. Future research might consider alternative more context specific models of health system integration.
Highlights
Facing the challenges of aging populations, increasing chronic diseases prevalence and health system fragmentation, there have been several pilots of integrated health systems in China
The integration of health care planning, management and delivery provides a potential strategy for addressing these challenges
This article has demonstrated how network analysis can be conducted in county health systems, what the structures of two systems look like and how network effectiveness is influenced by structure and contexts
Summary
Facing the challenges of aging populations, increasing chronic diseases prevalence and health system fragmentation, there have been several pilots of integrated health systems in China. Social network analysis was employed to analyze integration, through structure measurement and effectiveness evaluation. The average distance in the joint training network of Huangzhong is less than in Hualong. According to the National Health Service Surveys of 1998 and 2008, new cases of chronic diseases increased on average by 10 million each year over that period [2]. This epidemiological transformation emphasizes the need to pay more attention to health prevention, rehabilitation and case management. The integration of health care planning, management and delivery provides a potential strategy for addressing these challenges
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