Integrated working between primary health care services and care homes for older people: challenges from the approach study

Introduction: Within the UK health and social care policy is placing an increasing emphasis on improving the quality of care for older people in care homes through integrated working between health and social care services. This study aims to clarify the research available on integrated working and evaluate its impact on older people in order to devise a typology for informing future service development. Theory: Kodner and Spreeuwenberg [1] argue that patient/person centred integrated working between health and social care should include methods and models which involve the different levels of organisation, management, funding and clinical care within and between them. Methods: Phase one included a systematic review to evaluate interventions utilising integrated working between care home staff and health care practitioners, and a survey to describe care homes’ experiences of integrated working. Phase one will inform phase two; a case study evaluating six different approaches to integrated working currently in use in three different areas of England. Results and conclusions: The review found evidence of integrated working between health care and care homes at the patient level of care, but minimal evidence of models that extended beyond this level. Findings from the survey, currently in progress, will also be presented. Discussion: The discussion will provide an overview of the challenges and issues surrounding integrated working.