How can we define social care and what are the levels of true integration in integrated care? A narrative review

Abstract

PurposeIntegrated health and social care initiatives are increasing and health and social care systems are aiming to improve health and social outcomes in disadvantaged groups. There is a global dialogue surrounding improving services by shifting to an integrated health and social care approach. There is consensus of what is “health care”; however, the “social care” definition remains less explored. The authors describe the state of “social care” within the current integrated care literature and identify the depth of integration in current health and social care initiatives.Design/methodology/approachA narrative literature review, searching Medline, PsychINFO, CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane databases and grey literature (from 2016 to 2021), employing a search strategy, was conducted.FindingsIn total. 276 studies were eligible for full-text review, and 33 studies were included and categorised in types: “social care as community outreach dialogues”, “social care as addressing an ageing population”, “social care as targeting multimorbidity and corresponding social risks factors” and “social care as initiatives addressing the fragmentation of services”. Most initiatives were implemented in the United Kingdom. In total, 21 studies reported expanding integrated governance and partnerships; 27 studies reported having health and social care staff with clear integrated governance; 17 had dedicated funding and 11 used data-sharing and the integration of systems’ records.Originality/valueThe authors' demonstrate that social care approaches are expanding beyond the elderly, and these models have been used to respond to multimorbidity [including coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)], targeting priority groups and individuals with complex presentations.

Promotion of a social prescribing pathway to general practitioners in a rural area (a feasibility study protocol)

“…In doing so, we will provide further evidence surrounding SP in Australia and clarify key aspects of referral pathways that influence GP acceptance and utilisation. Including community-based services in discussions of integrated care will ensure psychosocial drivers of health are not overshadowed by biomedical models of care (Uribe et al, 2023).…”

“…Improving social connections and patient health literacy could potentially help reduce unnecessary use of healthcare resources (Ridge et al, 2021b(Ridge et al, , 2022b. Initiatives to improve integration between health and social care have been used outside Australia; a frequent feature of these is personalised tailoring of initiatives to improve social well-being among patients in the community (Uribe et al, 2023). Initiatives to identify and support individuals at risk of social isolation, build individuals' capacity, promote participation in social activities and improve chronic disease management are common approaches to improved social care (Uribe et al, 2023).…”

“…Models that "enhance quality of care and quality of life, consumer satisfaction and system efficiency" for patients may require collaboration between siloed service providers (Goodwin, 2016, p. 1). Despite this understanding, using community and volunteer services to improve health is often neglected when planning care integration (Uribe et al, 2023). Improving population "social health" by addressing social needs can improve both personal health outcomes and accessibility to primary and tertiary healthcare services; this represents better integration of primary and tertiary healthcare providers and the services and activities of the less-recognised community sector.…”