Integrated and Networked Healthcare Systems: The Canadian Example

The provision of healthcare services, particularly within publicly funded systems, is increasingly threatened by rising costs and difficulties in delivering effective and efficient care at the client–provider interface. In a world of increasing specialization of healthcare professionals, and the associated narrowing of professional responsibilities, a healthcare team (rather than an individual provider) is needed to meet the needs of clients. And yet, most healthcare systems are not set up in a sufficiently integrated way to support the collaborative care that is required. In this chapter, I explain the drive for Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) in healthcare and consider how collaborative care teams interface with either integrated or regional care systems. By examining the experience of Canadian provinces and territories, I describe the benefits and challenges associated with each of four categories, and consider the impact of such arrangements on the potential for collaborative care teams to deliver high-quality, affordable and equitable services that are part of a sustainable healthcare system.