Equity promoting integrated care: Definition and future development
Date
2023
Authors
Wankah, Paul
Gordon, Dara
Shahid, Simone
Chandra, Shivani
Abejirinde, Ibukun-Oluwa
Yoon, Rosanra
Wodchis, Walter P.
O’Campo, Patricia
Gray, Carolyn Steele
Clark, Nancy
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
International Journal of Integrated Care
Abstract
Over the last three decades, integrated care has emerged as an important health system strategy to improve population health while addressing the unique needs of structurally marginalised communities. However, less attention has been given to the role of integrated care in addressing issues related to inequities in health and health care. In this commentary we introduce the concept of Equity Promoting Integrated Care (EPIC) that situates integrated care in a social justice context to frame the actions necessary to center equity as a priority for integrated care. We suggest that efforts to advance the design and implementation of integrated care should focus on three avenues for future research and practice, namely, the collaborative mobilization of a global network of integrated care stakeholders to advocate for social justice and health equity, investing in equity-focused approaches to implementation science that highlight the importance of social concepts such as colonialism and intersectionality to advance the theory and practice of implementing EPIC models of care, and leveraging innovative approaches to measuring equity-related aspects of integrated care to inform continuous improvement of health systems.
Description
Keywords
health equity, implementation science, integrated care, health system transformation, social justice
Citation
Wankah, P., Gordon, D., Shahid, S., Chandra, S., Abejirinde, I.-O., Yoon, R., Wodchis, W. P., O’Campo, P., Gray, C. S., Clark, N., & Shaw, J. (2023). Equity promoting integrated care: Definition and future development. International Journal of Integrated Care, 23(4), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.5334/ijic.7614