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Baltaxe E, Czypionka T, Kraus M, Reiss M, Askildsen JE, Grenkovic R, Lindén TS, Pitter JG, Rutten-van Molken M, Solans O, Stokes J, Struckmann V, Roca J, Cano I. Digital Health Transformation of Integrated Care in Europe: Overarching Analysis of 17 Integrated Care Programs. J Med Internet Res 2019; 21:e14956. [PMID: 31573914 PMCID: PMC6794072 DOI: 10.2196/14956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Digital health tools comprise a wide range of technologies to support health processes. The potential of these technologies to effectively support health care transformation is widely accepted. However, wide scale implementation is uneven among countries and regions. Identification of common factors facilitating and hampering the implementation process may be useful for future policy recommendations. Objective The aim of this study was to analyze the implementation of digital health tools to support health care and social care services, as well as to facilitate the longitudinal assessment of these services, in 17 selected integrated chronic care (ICC) programs from 8 European countries. Methods A program analysis based on thick descriptions—including document examinations and semistructured interviews with relevant stakeholders—of ICC programs in Austria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom was performed. A total of 233 stakeholders (ie, professionals, providers, patients, carers, and policymakers) were interviewed from November 2014 to September 2016. The overarching analysis focused on the use of digital health tools and program assessment strategies. Results Supporting digital health tools are implemented in all countries, but different levels of maturity were observed among the programs. Only few ICC programs have well-established strategies for a comprehensive longitudinal assessment. There is a strong relationship between maturity of digital health and proper evaluation strategies of integrated care. Conclusions Notwithstanding the heterogeneity of the results across countries, most programs aim to evolve toward a digital transformation of integrated care, including implementation of comprehensive assessment strategies. It is widely accepted that the evolution of digital health tools alongside clear policies toward their adoption will facilitate regional uptake and scale-up of services with embedded digital health tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Baltaxe
- Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Center for Biomedical Network Research in Respiratory Diseases, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | - Renata Grenkovic
- Agency for Quality and Accreditation in Health Care and Social Welfare, Zagreb, Croatia
| | | | | | - Maureen Rutten-van Molken
- School of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Institute for Medical Technology Assessment, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Oscar Solans
- Oficina eSalut, Departament de Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jonathan Stokes
- Health Organisation, Policy, and Economics, Centre for Primary Care and Health Services Research, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Verena Struckmann
- Department of Health Care Management, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Josep Roca
- Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Center for Biomedical Network Research in Respiratory Diseases, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isaac Cano
- Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Center for Biomedical Network Research in Respiratory Diseases, Madrid, Spain
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