6th Annual Research Symposium

Evidence for Integration: What can research tell us about health and social care integration and its role in improving outcomes?

Published on: 09/02/2018

Healthcare Improvement Scotland is jointly hosting a symposium with Health Services Research Unit and the Health Economics Research Unit at the University of Aberdeen, and the Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Research Unit at the Chief Scientist Office.

The symposium takes place on Tuesday 24th April 2018, 10am to 4pm (registration and refreshments from 9.30am) at COSLA conference centre, 19 Haymarket Yards, Edinburgh EH12 5BH.

The programme includes:

  • Jenny Billings, Professor of Applied Health Research & Director, Integrated Care Research Unit, University of Kent
  • Peter Bower, Professor of Health Services Research, University of Manchester
  • Stuart Mercer, Professor of Primary Care Research, University of Glasgow
  • Vicky Ward, Associate Professor of Knowledge Mobilisation, Leeds Institute of Health Sciences

Symposium Theme

The Public Bodies (Joint Working) Act 2014 set out the legislative framework for integrating health and social care in Scotland. The aim was to break down the barriers to joint working between NHS boards and local authorities hence enabling care that is person-centred and straightforward to access. The act created a number of new public organisations, the integration authorities. Similar moves to greater integration of health and social care have been taking place in other parts of the UK and internationally.

As this new model of working is being put into practice across Scotland, the focus of this year’s joint Research Symposium will be on sharing and considering the evidence base to inform health and social care integration. Of interest are both the findings of studies in this area but also the exploration of the complexities and challenges of conducting research in this field. Research based on the developments taking place in Scotland, and from contexts other than Scotland, are both considered valuable in developing knowledge and understanding to inform practice. Topics of interest include but are not limited to:

  • The impact of integrated care on patient and service user outcomes and experiences, and their perspectives on this care
  • How does integrated care affect service utilisation?
  • The processes, methods and tools that can facilitate integrated care
  • Different models of health and social care integration
  • What are the component interventions most often associated with effective integrated care programmes?
  • Integration focussed on improving care for particular populations
  • Evaluation of models of integrated care
  • Cost effectiveness studies of models of integrated care
  • Competencies needed by staff to deliver integrated care
  • Challenges of undertaking research on integrated care as a complex intervention

Register for the symposium