Integrated delivery systems: the future for Canadian health care reform?

Influential health care leaders have recently said that it is a misnomer to refer to the current muddle of Canadian health care services and providers as a "system." Consequently, Canadian professionals and citizens have been exposed to increasing numbers of publications recommending that a move to fully and properly Integrated Delivery Systems (IDS) could rectify many of the difficulties with which our current non-system is faced. There is, however, a skepticism that the 'IDS movement' is just another in a series of fads that will come and go, without positively impacting the health care system. In this article, the authors provide arguments for why integration is critically required, an overview of types of integration, the qualities of a fully integrated system, and a discussion of the advantages and cautions to proceeding with IDS development. They conclude with the argument that--despite potential obstacles--the possible advantages of IDSs make it vital that we pursue integration.