Integrated Care Within New Zealand’s Specialist Mental Health and Addiction Services: Qualitative Research to Inform a New Model
摘要
Internationally, and within New Zealand (NZ), specialist mental health and addiction service-users (SMHAS-users) experience increased risks of comorbidities and premature mortality, and poorer health outcomes, compared to the general population. In particular, Indigenous Māori SMHAS-users face significant inequities compared to non-Māori. Integrated care has been found to improve outcomes by improving quality and coordination between services. This research aimed to develop a model of integrated care relevant to SMHAS-users in a NZ context, to inform the development of a questionnaire intended to assess SMHAS-users experiences of integrated care, support SMHAS to improve their services, and in turn, improve outcomes for SMHAS-users. Key informants working for, and/or with lived experience of, SMHAS were interviewed about existing integrated and people-centred care concepts. Barriers to integration were identified. The team met frequently to review and discuss coding, themes, and model development. Ten informants from across NZ were recruited, including five with lived experience of mental distress, and three who were Māori. Singer et al.,’s (Medical Care Research and Review, 68(1), 112–127,