Patient, co-producer and consumer in one person: Identity facets of the user in integrated health care

Abstract

Purpose

Integrated health care lacks a theoretical concept of the user figure that is appropriate to reflect users’ various claims and multi-dimensional interrelations in the care process. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

Key goals of integrated health care, such as a continuity of care, seamless services and better health outcomes depend strongly on users’ capabilities to engage themselves in the care process. These goals are hardly reachable if integrated health care schemes operate with a one-dimensional understanding of users’ identity.

Findings

The suggested concept of users’ identity facets suggests that users draw from different sources while receiving integrated health care. Thus, users are patients, co-producers, citizens, consumers and community members in one person and at the same time. Each facet of the user identity gains or loses relevance depending on health care contexts, health statuses, personal values and the design of service arrangements. As demonstrated by the example of disease management programmes (DMPs), care schemes for chronically ill persons, users have to apply different facets of their identities in order to benefit best from service provision. Moreover, addressing users’ identity may facilitate the extent of integration in DMPs.

Originality/value

Integrated health care schemes are challenged to invent strategies that facilitate and support coherence among users’ diverse identities in the process of service provision. Lessons could be learned from small-scale and localized integrated health care networks.

Citation

Ewert, B. (2016), "Patient, co-producer and consumer in one person: Identity facets of the user in integrated health care", Journal of Integrated Care, Vol. 24 No. 3, pp. 161-172. https://doi.org/10.1108/JICA-01-2016-0006