Organizational innovation and integrated care: lessons from Buurtzorg
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe the case of Buurtzorg Nederland as a good practice example of integrated care, focussing in particular on the organizational aspects of its innovation. As the field of integrated care is still in many ways in its infancy, it is hoped that lessons learned could help other agencies and other systems seeking to reform community-based care.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on a grounded approach, this case study is based on individual interviews with 38 respondents comprising staff, founder, co-founders, coaches, nurses, clients and a trainer and analysis of internal company reports.
Findings
Based on the case study the authors suggest an integrated approach as the main explanation of the good practice at Buurtzorg rather than a focus on one single concept such as management structure, information and communication technology, community-based care or a patient focus. Next to the multi-level approach it furthermore shows a multi-dimensional approach as explanation for its success. In this perspective the primary process is the leading process but fully supported by the secondary process containing support facilities from a head office of the organization.
Practical implications
Buurtzorg Nederland has been awarded with several prizes for its good management practice in integrated care and attention internationally is growing.
Originality/value
This paper provides the first case study write-up of the Buurtzorg model for an international audience, based on extensive research to be published in an international book.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This paper is based on a book describing Lessons from Buurtzorg to be published by Springer in late 2014. The authors thank Jos de Blok, founder of Buurtzorg Nederland; Gonnie Kronenberg, co-founder; Ard Leferink, co-founder and creative thinker at Buurtzorg and several nurses, coaches and employees from the back office of Buurtzorg, for their valuable contribution toward the research project which provides the backdrop to this paper.
Citation
Nandram, S. and Koster, N. (2014), "Organizational innovation and integrated care: lessons from Buurtzorg", Journal of Integrated Care, Vol. 22 No. 4, pp. 174-184. https://doi.org/10.1108/JICA-06-2014-0024
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited