Incorporating public health more closely into local governance of health care delivery: lessons from the Québec experience.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE In 2004, the Quebec government undertook a major reorganization of its health care system by integrating public health more formally into local governance structures. In all, 95 new organizations - Health and Social Services Centres (CSSS)--were created and given a population-based responsibility. This mandate required that CSSSs broaden their range of services by adopting a population-based plan and integrating public health into their activities. To accomplish this, they needed to link public health and health care issues more formally within a single governance structure. The aim of this article is to identify and analyze various activities undertaken by CSSS managers to fulfill their population-based responsibility. METHODS We conducted a longitudinal case study of two CSSSs (2005-2008). Our analyses are based on real-time observations of 144 meetings of decision-makers/managers and professionals at the regional and local levels, 46 interviews with managers, as well as secondary data. RESULTS CSSSs focused on five areas of population-based responsibility: primary health care, specialized services, vulnerable groups, health promotion and social services. Over time, the activities developed by CSSSs in relation to these five areas reflected an increasingly population-based perspective on the delivery of health care services. CONCLUSION Service planning in the two cases under study is now based on a broader view of the health care continuum, and managers invest more time and resources in preventive interventions. Our study provides key information on the process of integrating a population-based perspective and preventive approaches in the planning and delivery of primary care services.