Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice in Integrated Care: The Case of the Diabetic Foot Pathway in Tuscany.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction and background

As diabetic foot (DF) care benefits from integration, monitoring geographic variations in lower limb Major Amputation rate enables to highlight potential lack of Integrated Care. In Tuscany (Italy), these DF outcomes were good on average but they varied within the region. In order to stimulate an improvement process towards integration, the project aimed to shift health professionals' focus on the geographic variation issue, promote the Population Medicine approach, and engage professionals in a community of practice.

Method

Three strategies were thus carried out: the use of a transparent performance evaluation system based on benchmarking; the use of patient stories and benchmarking analyses on outcomes, service utilization and costs that cross-c

SUBMITTER: Nuti S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5356204 | biostudies-literature | 2016 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature