Integrated care pathways—A strategy towards better care coordination in municipalities? A qualitative study:

IntroductionOne of the main strategies in the Coordination Reform in Norway is implementing integrated care pathways. Most studies on integrated care pathways are conducted in hospital settings or across the hospital–primary care continuum. There are few studies on how such pathways are experienced in primary care. We have conducted a formative evaluation in a primary care setting. The research questions are “What assessments and understanding of integrated care pathways exist in primary care?” “To what extent do integrated care pathways appear as a suitable strategy to handle care coordination challenges from a primary care point of view?”MethodsA total of 72 qualitative interviews with chief municipal executives and healthcare management from 36 municipalities in one county of Norway were conducted.ResultsEven though integrated care pathways were promoted as a strategy to accommodate the intentions of the Coordination Reform, the concept is perceived as diffuse and ambiguous among informants in our stud...