Core competency characteristics of integrated care managers in the context of service resource integration: A...

Population aging and complex healthcare demands highlight the need for integrated care to improve efficiency and quality. Integrated care managers are central to coordinating multidisciplinary teams and optimizing resource use, yet their required competencies remain underexplored in China.

This qualitative study aims to identify the core competencies essential for emerging integrated care managers in China, providing a reference for training, evaluation, and professional development.

From January to July 2024, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 practitioners and managers engaged in integrated care across diverse healthcare settings. Data were transcribed and analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis, and findings were interpreted through the lens of the Holistic Competency Model.

Six core competencies were identified: multidisciplinary integration knowledge, comprehensive assessment and case management competency, resource coordination and integration competency, emergency response competency, professional development competency, and humanistic practice competency, further refined into 16 subcategories. These competencies interact dynamically across cognitive, functional, social, and meta-competence dimensions, forming a context-sensitive, systematic framework.

This study develops a context-specific competency framework for integrated care managers in China, clarifying the requisite knowledge, skills, and values. The framework offers practical guidance for training, professional development, and competency-based evaluation, while advancing theoretical understanding of integrated care roles.