Making integrated health care work

The primary purpose of forming integrated health care systems should be to increase value added for payers and patients. Without this kind of focus on customer needs, integration efforts are likely to fail. The authors identify seven factors that make up the value-added continuum for health care purchasers and providers. The article assesses several of the major strategies pursued by integrating systems (e.g., primary care network development, health plan partnership arrangements) against value-added criteria. The major finding: integrated health care has the potential to bring substantial added value to customers.