J Health Serv Res Policy July 2015 vol. 20 no. 3 177-188
- The impact of integration on secondary care costs or use was assessed in 34 schemes from eight countries.
- In 11 schemes, integration had no significant effect on secondary care costs or utilisation; three schemes reported significantly lower secondary care use compared with usual care; in the remaining 19 schemes, the evidence was mixed or unclear.
- Barriers in the form of differences in performance frameworks, priorities and governance were prominent amongst the UK schemes.
- Some of these schemes revealed substantial levels of unmet need and so total costs increased.
