Care Integration for the Management of Chronic Diseases within Primary Health Care

Dear Colleagues,

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed that enhancing the role of primary care is crucial in managing chronic diseases effectively. The crisis called for integrated interventions to focus on strengthening primary care services by providing adequate resources, training, and support for primary care providers. Primary care or better primary health care were also strengthened by establishing effective integrated care pathways with public health, social care, and mental health.  Involving primary care in the discussion with other healthcare and social care sectors to work on care plans tailored to specific chronic diseases jointly can improve the delivery of comprehensive and coordinated care seems, a current challenge.

This Specific Issue will focus on original papers that report integrated interventions that intend to strengthen primary care.

This can be achieved by:

• Implementing care protocols, guidelines, and decision support tools, promoting team-based care, and facilitating seamless referral systems between primary care and specialty care;
• Promoting care coordination and case management. Integrated interventions can prioritize care coordination and case management to ensure transitions between healthcare settings and providers. In the post-COVID-19 period, the concept of transformation has been emerged in the literature and it has high attention. Papers that address integrating intervention to improve coordination between primary care, social care, and mental health will receive a high priority.
• Focusing on integrated health information systems. Effective integration of health information systems is essential for improving the management of chronic diseases. The issue of interoperability among different electronic health record systems and several classifications available in primary care deserves high levels of attention.
• Investing the workforce in terms of enhancing its capacity and resilience to implement integrated care approaches;
• Exploring effective collaborative networks and partnerships to promote integration in primary care. Integrated interventions can promote collaboration among different stakeholders involved in chronic disease management.

Patient engagement and self-management could not be discussed within the framework of this Special Issue despite it being a key element of any action to promote integrated primary care. These types of papers may overlap with others SI from different journals to address empowerment and patient-centered care, with a focus on behavioral change.

The following questions could guide existing research to respond to the content of this specific issue:

1. What types of integrated care models are suitable and appropriate for managing chronic diseases within primary health care, with a particular focus on governance and payment systems?
2. To what extent do digital tools contribute to the facilitation of care integration for the management of chronic diseases within primary health care?
3. What methodologies and procedures hold the potential for effectively implementing integrated care models in primary health care, emphasizing process and outcome evaluation?
4. What factors serve to either facilitate or hinder the implementation of integrated care for chronic disease management within primary health care?
5. What challenges does the healthcare workforce encounter when endeavoring to implement integrated care approaches?
6. Which training programs and educational interventions have proven effective in implementing integrated care models within primary health care?

Prof. Dr. Christos Lionis
Dr. Marilena Anastasaki
Guest Editors

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• chronic diseases
• management of chronic diseases
• health care
• primary care
• public health