Gemma Hughes
DPhil Title
Integrated care in practice: a case study of health and social care for adults with complex needs considered to be at high risk of hospital admission
Research abstract
Integrated care is a central tenet of UK health policy, and as such it is expected to provide a way to manage health and social care resources more effectively whilst meeting increasingly complex needs, particularly those of the aging population, in a person-centred, co-ordinated way that addresses fragmentation and improves quality. However, integrated care is rarely clearly defined, often under-theorised, and, according to research evidence, often does not produce the desired outcomes. I am undertaking an in-depth case study of integrated care to examine the patient experience and the practice of integrated care within its organisational, social, political and historical context. The intention is to provide new empirical insights, and to extend theoretical understanding of how integrated care is performed and shaped.
Supervisors:
Dr Sara Shaw