The Norrtaelje model: a unique model for integrated health and social care in Sweden

• Published in: International journal of integrated care Vol. 15; no. Special Issue: SI; p. 1
• Main Authors: Andersson Bäck, Monica, Calltorp, Johan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: Arbetslivsstudier; care coordinators; health and social care; Health Care Service and Management, Health Policy and Services and Health Economy; Hälso- och sjukvårdsorganisation, hälsopolitik och hälsoekonomi; integrated pathway; older people with complex needs; Social Work; Socialt arbete; Sociologi (exklusive socialt arbete, socialpsykologi och socialantropologi); Sociology (excluding Social work, Social Psychology and Social Anthropology); Sweden; Work Sciences
• ISSN: 1568-4156; 1568-4156

Many countries organise and fund health and social care separately. The Norrtaelje model is a Swedish initiative that transformed the funding and organisation of health and social care in order to better integrate care for older people with complex needs. In Norrtaelje model, this transformation made it possible to bringing the team together, to transfer responsibility to different providers, to use care coordinators, and to develop integrated pathways and plans around transitions in and out of hospital and from nursing homes to hospital. The Norrtaelje model operates in the context of the Swedish commitment to universal coverage and public programmes based on tax-funded resources that are pooled and redistributed to citizens on the basis of need. The experience of Norrtaelje model suggests that one way to promote integration of health and social care is to start with a transformation that aligns these two sectors in terms of high level organisation and funding. This transformation then enables the changes in operations and management that can be translated into changes in care delivery. This “top-down” approach must be in-line with national priorities and policies but ultimately is successful only if the culture, resource allocation and management are changed throughout the local system.