Study of the Local Health Integration Network: impact of Ontario’s Regionalization Policy

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to undertake an examination of the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) Health Policy proposal. This policy established a decentralized approach to health system management in the province of Ontario, Canada by creating 14 crown agencies, LHINs.

Design/methodology/approach

This policy is examined against the five policy stages of the Stages Model: agenda setting, formulation, legitimation, implementation and evaluation. The examination was based on a review of grey literature, including key government reports and briefs.

Findings

This policy did not follow the Stages Model sequentially: the policy was implemented while it was still undergoing its legitimacy phase. Formal reviews were undertaken following implementation and found areas for improvement: poor integration amongst all the LHINs; poor patient navigation persists; LHINs lack the capacity and competency to engage in regional capacity planning; and planning and integration is not centered around patient needs. As a result, a decade after the introduction of LHINs, the Ontario HealthCare System has not achieved systems improvement when measured against accepted government indicators of performance.

Originality/value

This integration policy highlights the context and evolution of Ontario’s healthcare system governance in the past decade and contributes to the body of knowledge on the impact of regionalization on health systems and patient care.

Citation

Cheng, S.M. (2018), "Study of the Local Health Integration Network: impact of Ontario’s Regionalization Policy", Journal of Integrated Care, Vol. 26 No. 4, pp. 277-285. https://doi.org/10.1108/JICA-02-2018-0009