Integrated Healthcare and the Dilemma of Public Health Emergencies

Krzysztof Goniewicz, Eric Carlström, Attila J. Hertelendy, Frederick M. Burkle, Mariusz Goniewicz, Dorota Lasota, John G. Richmond and Amir Khorram-Manesh
Additional contact information
Krzysztof Goniewicz: Department of Aviation Security, Military University of Aviation, 08-521 Dęblin, Poland
Eric Carlström: Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
Attila J. Hertelendy: Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics, College of Business, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
Frederick M. Burkle: Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Mariusz Goniewicz: Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, 20-059 Lublin, Poland
Dorota Lasota: Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Warsaw, Banacha 1b Street, 02097 Warsaw, Poland
John G. Richmond: School of Health and Related Research, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
Amir Khorram-Manesh: Gothenburg Emergency Medicine Research Group (GEMREG), Sahlgrenska Academy, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 8, 1-13

Abstract: Traditional healthcare services have demonstrated structural shortcomings in the delivery of patient care and enforced numerous elements of integration in the delivery of healthcare services. Integrated healthcare aims at providing all healthcare that makes humans healthy. However, with mainly chronically ill people and seniors, typically suffering from numerous comorbidities and diseases, being recruited for care, there is a need for a change in the healthcare service structure beyond direct-patient care to be compatible in peacetime and during public health emergencies. This article’s objective is to discuss the opportunities and obstacles for increasing the effectiveness of healthcare through improved integration. A rapid evidence review approach was used by performing a systematic followed by a non-systematic literature review and content analysis. The results confirmed that integrated healthcare systems play an increasingly important role in healthcare system reforms undertaken in European Union countries. The essence of these changes is the transition from the episodic treatment of acute diseases to the provision of coordinated medical services, focused on chronic cases, prevention, and ensuring patient continuity. However, integrated healthcare, at a level not yet fully defined, will be necessary if we are to both define and attain the integrated practice of both global health and global public health emergencies. This paper attains the necessary global challenges to integrate healthcare effectively at every level of society. There is a need for more knowledge to effectively develop, support, and disseminate initiatives related to coordinated healthcare in the individual healthcare systems.

Keywords: healthcare; integrated care; integrated healthcare delivery; quality of healthcare; hospital management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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