Open AccessHealth consumer and health provider preferences for an integrative healthcare service delivery model: A national cross‐sectional study
Author(s) -
Leach Matthew J.,
Wiese Marlene,
Agnew Tamara,
Thakkar Manisha
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
international journal of clinical practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.756
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 1742-1241
pISSN - 1368-5031
DOI - 10.1111/ijcp.13204
Subject(s) - medicine , cross sectional study , health care , service delivery framework , service (business) , nursing , triage , stakeholder , payment , family medicine , medical emergency , marketing , public relations , pathology , world wide web , business , economic growth , political science , computer science , economics
Summary Background Although global interest in integrative healthcare ( IHC ) has escalated over the past few decades, stakeholder perspectives and preferences in relation to IHC remain poorly understood. Our study aimed to address this knowledge gap by exploring Australian health consumer ( HC ) and healthcare provider ( HCP ) understanding, attitudes and preferences for an IHC service delivery model, and to translate these views into an operational framework for IHC . Method The research used a cross‐sectional study design. Eligible persons were informed of the study using a multi‐modal recruitment approach. Adult HC s and HCP s from any medical, nursing, allied and traditional and complementary medicine discipline, who had internet access and resided in Australia, were eligible to complete the 55‐item online questionnaire. Results Four hundred and nine participants completed the survey. HC s and HCP s shared a common understanding of, and positive attitude towards, IHC . When asked about the IHC service delivery model, participants advocated the provision of diverse healthcare and support services across multiple centres, to individuals mainly presenting with chronic/terminal conditions. The preference was for these services to be charged as fee‐for‐service, paid using a split payment system, and managed by a customised team of clinicians following triage by a non‐medical staff member. These findings were subsequently translated into an operational framework for IHC . Conclusions This is first known study to translate HC and HCP attitudes and preferences into an operational framework for IHC . A logical next step of this work will be to ascertain the feasibility of this model in primary care.