Challenges and opportunities for integration in health systems: An Australian perspective

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to contribute an Australian perspective to the debate on health system integration by identifying some key Australian challenges to integration, policy responses to enhance integration and potential insights from these for international policy makers, researcher...

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Main Authors: Petrich, Mark, Ramamurthy, Vijaya, Hendrie, Delia, Robinson, Suzanne
Format: Journal Article
Published: Pavillion Publishing 2013
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/25874
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author Petrich, Mark
Ramamurthy, Vijaya
Hendrie, Delia
Robinson, Suzanne
author_facet Petrich, Mark
Ramamurthy, Vijaya
Hendrie, Delia
Robinson, Suzanne
author_sort Petrich, Mark
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to contribute an Australian perspective to the debate on health system integration by identifying some key Australian challenges to integration, policy responses to enhance integration and potential insights from these for international policy makers, researchers and practitioners. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on the systems theory concept of entropy, the authors contend that there exist factors that contribute to system fragmentation. Whilst policy responses to these challenges are contextual, there are generalisable features worth exploring internationally. Findings: The authors suggest that recognition of inherent system-based barriers is an important initial stage in moving towards integration. Whilst process and people factors are important contributors to integration, the political will to move in this direction is a necessary dynamic to energise the system through appropriate funding, incentives and governance structures. Originality/value: The paper provides a fresh Australian perspective to the international discourse on barriers and opportunities to enhance health system integration.
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institution Curtin University Malaysia
institution_category Local University
last_indexed 2025-11-14T07:58:55Z
publishDate 2013
publisher Pavillion Publishing
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-258742017-09-13T15:23:04Z Challenges and opportunities for integration in health systems: An Australian perspective Petrich, Mark Ramamurthy, Vijaya Hendrie, Delia Robinson, Suzanne integrated care Australia health system integration barriers to integration health policy systems theory Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to contribute an Australian perspective to the debate on health system integration by identifying some key Australian challenges to integration, policy responses to enhance integration and potential insights from these for international policy makers, researchers and practitioners. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on the systems theory concept of entropy, the authors contend that there exist factors that contribute to system fragmentation. Whilst policy responses to these challenges are contextual, there are generalisable features worth exploring internationally. Findings: The authors suggest that recognition of inherent system-based barriers is an important initial stage in moving towards integration. Whilst process and people factors are important contributors to integration, the political will to move in this direction is a necessary dynamic to energise the system through appropriate funding, incentives and governance structures. Originality/value: The paper provides a fresh Australian perspective to the international discourse on barriers and opportunities to enhance health system integration. 2013 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/25874 10.1108/JICA-09-2013-0037 Pavillion Publishing restricted
spellingShingle integrated care
Australia
health system integration
barriers to integration
health policy
systems theory
Petrich, Mark
Ramamurthy, Vijaya
Hendrie, Delia
Robinson, Suzanne
Challenges and opportunities for integration in health systems: An Australian perspective
title Challenges and opportunities for integration in health systems: An Australian perspective
title_full Challenges and opportunities for integration in health systems: An Australian perspective
title_fullStr Challenges and opportunities for integration in health systems: An Australian perspective
title_full_unstemmed Challenges and opportunities for integration in health systems: An Australian perspective
title_short Challenges and opportunities for integration in health systems: An Australian perspective
title_sort challenges and opportunities for integration in health systems: an australian perspective
topic integrated care
Australia
health system integration
barriers to integration
health policy
systems theory
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/25874