The Emergence of Multidisciplinary Teams for Interagency Service Delivery in Europe: Is Historical Institutionalism Wrong?

Abstract

In Europe, a well-known problem is the coordination of interagency service delivery to independently living older persons, disabled persons or persons suffering from chronic illness. Coordination is necessary in order for the users to receive services at the appropriate time and place. Based on historical institutionalism, which focuses on the path dependency of the development of government policy and organizational and professional rules, it can be stated that coordination requires organizational models or other solutions that fit the characteristics of the context ('configuration') for which the solution is intended. The western European countries have different configurations. Remarkably, across these countries, we see the emergence of multidisciplinary teams as a solution to the problem of coordination. Consequently, if we take the above statement to mean that a solution should fit all the configuration's characteristics, we must reject the statement. However, when we assume that a solution should fit particular configurational characteristics, we must not. We take the second position and we argue that multidisciplinary teams have emerged because they fit one particular feature that is similar in the countries: professionalism and professional fragmentation.

Motivational paradigms for the integration of a Belgian hospital network and merger presented in the printed press

“…The institutional theory explains the development of inter-organizational relationships and networks as caused by isomorphic pressure and efforts to obtain legitimacy. Networks in health care can be formed, because it is believed to be the way to deliver integrated care, even without evidence of success (Burns and Pauly, 2002), or as a result of a process of historical institutionalism (Van Raak and Paulus, 2008). Alliances can occur, because it is the expectation or norm or a requirement one needs to comply with.…”