Abstract
Introduction:Integrated care aims to improve access, quality and continuity of services for ageing populations and people experiencing chronic conditions. However, the health and social care workforce is ill equipped to address complex patient care needs due to working and training in silos. This paper describes the extent and nature of the evidence on workforce development in integrated care to inform future research, policy and practice.Methods:A scoping review was conducted to map the key concepts and available evidence related to workforce development in integrated care.Results:Sixty-two published studies were included. Essential skills and competencies included enhancing workforce understanding across the health and social care systems, developing a deeper relationship with and empowering patients and their carers, understanding community needs, patient-centeredness, health promotion, disease prevention, interprofessional training and teamwork and being a role model. The paper also identified training models and barriers/challenges to workforce development in integrated care.Discussion and Conclusion:Good-quality research on workforce development in integrated care is scarce. The literature overwhelmingly recognises that integrated care training and workforce development is required, and emerging frameworks and competencies have been developed. More knowledge is needed to implement and evaluate these frameworks, including the broader health and social care workforces within a global context. Further research needs to focus on the most effective methods for implementing these competencies.
Highlights
Integrated care aims to improve access, quality and continuity of services for ageing populations and people experiencing chronic conditions
A scoping review is relevant in this field, as emerging evidence makes it challenging to undertake systematic reviews [17]: and scoping reviews allow for a broader range of study types to be included [18]
The research questions, protocol, scoping review process and inclusion criteria for the search strategy were developed in consultation with a group of experts with knowledge of integrated care and working in health and social science
Summary
Integrated care aims to improve access, quality and continuity of services for ageing populations and people experiencing chronic conditions. Governments have committed to integrated health systems to improve access, quality and continuity of services for our increasingly ageing population and people experiencing chronic disease [1, 2, 3]. Patients with ongoing health problems need continuous care and treatment across settings and providers [Pruitt & Epping-Jordan 2005, as cited in 1]. An integrated approach requires workers from several sectors to collaborate with patients, carers and each other to develop personalised treatment plans that reflect patient and family needs, preferences and community resource and service availability [4, 5, 6, Pruitt and Epping—Jordan 2005, as cited in 1]. The framework imposed five interdependent strategies: empowering and engaging people and communities, strengthening governance and accountability, reorienting care models, coordinating services within and across sectors and creating an enabling environment [7]
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