Authors' objectives: The objectives of this research were to (1) identify factors that affect integration between health and social care; (2) identify outcomes important to people with long-term neurological conditions (LTNCs) who are clients of an 'integrated' service; (3) develop these outcomes into a checklist and explore whether or not these outcomes can be assessed in practice; and (4) understand how different models of integration affect outcomes.

Authors' recommendations: Many of the outcomes that are important to service users with LTNCs are not addressed in validated 'outcome measures'. This has implications for commissioners and practitioners to ensure that service users' needs are met in practice. Turning the OC into a measurement tool could go some way to addressing this. Many of the outcomes are interdependent; an impact on one particular outcome will have a 'knock-on' effect on other outcomes. These inter-relationships demonstrate the complexity of what is important in the lives of people with LTNCs. Service changes can affect integrated arrangements negatively. More research is needed to explore the longer-term effects of organisational change on integrated service provision.

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2014

URL for published report: http://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/hsdr/hsdr02090/#/abstract

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: England, United Kingdom

Organisation Name: NIHR Health Services and Delivery Research programme

Contact Address: NIHR Journals Library, National Institute for Health and Care Research, Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre, Alpha House, University of Southampton Science Park, Southampton SO16 7NS, UK

Contact Name: journals.library@nihr.ac.uk

Contact Email: journals.library@nihr.ac.uk

Copyright: Queen's Printer and Controller of HMSO