Clinical integration in a population-based planning framework.

Population-based planning provides context and scope to the goal of clinical integration. It also is a transforming process for organizations and programs devoted to a hospital-centric care system, as well as source of language that can support collaboration among buyers, payers, providers, and community groups. At the clinical care level, population-based planning recognizes the differences in how people perceive health and use health care services, as an important corollary to understanding specific diseases and clinical service needs.