Collaborative Governance for Integrated Care: Insights from a Policy Stakeholder Dialogue

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Health Policy and Management

Background:

• Integrated care is a key goal for healthcare systems but faces implementation challenges.
• Evolving policy environments complicate the operationalization of integrated care.
• A 2017 policy symposium in Ontario, Canada, addressed these challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the operationalization of an integrated care policy amidst policy evolution.
• To identify recommendations and challenges in implementing integrated care.
• To examine the role of collaborative governance in addressing these issues.

Main Methods:

• A policy symposium convened 45 participants: government, healthcare leaders, researchers, clinicians, and patients.
• Included presentations and breakout sessions.
• Observational field notes were recorded by two trained observers.

Main Results:

• Four recommendations and 14 sub-recommendations for policy implementation were generated.
• Four key tensions characterizing implementation challenges were identified.
• Recommendations were discussed within the framework of Collaborative Governance.

Conclusions:

• Collaborative governance can strengthen recommendations and support leadership in integrated care implementation.
• Unique challenges arise from implementing integrated care in unstable policy environments.
• Maintaining collaborative governance is crucial for sustained integrated care initiatives.