Department of Social and Health Management, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland.
Int J Integr Care. 2011 Apr;11:e021. doi: 10.5334/ijic.571. Epub 2011 Jun 15.
To explore the impact of structural integration on homecare quality.
A case study in an organisation comprising a before-after comparison with baseline and four follow-up measurements during 1994-2009, using interviews with clients (n=66-84) and postal inquiries to relatives (n=73-78) and staff (n=68-136).
Despite the organisational reform involving extensive mergers of health and social care organisations and cuts in staff and service provision, homecare quality remained at almost the same level throughout the 15-year follow-up. According to the clients, it even slightly improved in some homecare areas.
The results show that despite the structural integration and cuts in staff and service provision, the quality of homecare remained at a good level. Assuming that the potential confounders did have inhibiting effects, the results suggest that structural integration had a positive impact on homecare quality. To obtain firmer evidence to support this tentative conclusion, further research with a randomised comparison design is needed.
探索结构整合对家庭护理质量的影响。
在 1994 年至 2009 年期间，采用对客户（n=66-84）进行访谈和对亲属（n=73-78）和员工（n=68-136）进行邮寄调查的方法，在一个组织中进行案例研究，该组织进行了前后比较，有基线和四次随访测量。
尽管组织改革涉及卫生和社会保健组织的广泛合并以及员工和服务提供的削减，但整个 15 年的随访中，家庭护理质量几乎保持在同一水平。根据客户的说法，一些家庭护理领域的质量甚至略有提高。
结果表明，尽管结构整合以及员工和服务提供的削减，但家庭护理的质量仍保持在良好水平。假设潜在的混杂因素确实有抑制作用，那么结果表明结构整合对家庭护理质量产生了积极影响。为了获得更有力的证据来支持这一初步结论，需要进行具有随机对照设计的进一步研究。
