integrated care
a consistent, systematic, and coordinated set of health care services that are developed, managed, and delivered to individual patients over a range of organizations and by a variety of associated professionals and other care providers. The approach seeks to reduce fragmented care (i.e., diagnosis and treatment by multiple unconnected and minimally communicating doctors and caregivers); to improve clinical outcomes, quality of life, patient satisfaction, effectiveness, and efficiency (ideally using evidence-based practice guidelines); and to reduce costs. The complexities underlying development of such approaches include establishing a common philosophy of assessment and treatment, developing partnership relationships, linking and planning information systems, coordinating patient flow among providers, and so forth. The efficacy of integrated care is often viewed and measured from two perspectives: that of the patient and that of the organizations and
individual service providers. Although primarily associated with medicine proper, services may include mental health components (e.g., psychosocial assessment and treatment). Also called integrated medicine.