Towards more inclusive and equitable evidence in Integrated Care

Background: At ICIC 2025, the International Journal of Integrated Care (IJIC) explored how to include people with lived experience in research and publication, focusing on “who is invited into the dialogue”. For ICIC 2026, the discussion moves from participation to representation: from “who speaks” to “whose realities and perspectives shape evidence”. This workshop explores how integrated-care evidence can better reflect diverse realities and contexts.

Integrated care often mirrors dominant models, leaving behind many realities shaped by culture, identity, social context or ability. Evidence can perpetuate inequity through what questions are asked, who gets funded, whose data are valued, and which perspectives are published. Beyond the moral imperative of inclusion, diverse and representative evidence strengthens the quality and usability of knowledge for policy and practice. By ensuring that evidence reflects diverse populations and contexts, integrated care systems can design policies and interventions that are more effective, equitable, and sustainable.

However, its practical importance remains implicit. This workshop highlights how inclusive evidence strengthens person-centredness and trust at the micro level, innovation at the meso level, and legitimacy and fairness at the macro level.

By articulating these connections, the session helps participants frame and advocate for diversity and representation as essential drivers of effective and sustainable integrated care. It positions IJIC as both a platform and an active agent in transforming how knowledge is generated and shared across individuals, organisations, and systems.

Aim: • Reflect on how diversity and equity are present or neglected in integrated care research and publication.

• Identify practical ways IJIC and the wider IFIC community can promote inclusive evidence generation, mobilisation, and use across research, practice, and policy.
• Develop a short Call to Action for Inclusive Evidence in Integrated Care to inform IJIC’s 2026 Special Issue and editorial.

TARGET AUDIENCE: Researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and people with lived experience engaged in integrated care development, evidence creation, and knowledge mobilisation.

Approach: The workshop follows a Layered Voices Dialogue structure, ensuring equitable participation and reflection.

• Introduction (0-10 min): IJIC editors introduce the session, aims, and guiding question.
• Story sparks (10-25 min). 3 short stories (3–4 min each) from speakers representing lived experience, practice, and research, illustrating perspectives often excluded from evidence.
• Individual reflection (25-35 min). Silent reflection on core guiding questions about missing voices, barriers, opportunities, and roles for IJIC/IFIC, with responses added to shared whiteboards.
• Small group synthesis (35-60 min). Participants work in groups exploring the questions and summarising themes.
• Plenary discussion (60-85 min). Groups shared summaries, agree on three priority actions for IJIC, and vote collectively.
• Closing and next steps (85-90 min).

FACILITATION TEAM: IJIC’s lived-experience editors and Editors-in-Chief co-designed and will co-facilitate the workshop, ensuring that diverse voices shape the process and outcomes.

EXPECTED OUTPUTS: • A shared understanding of how diversity and equity strengthen integrated-care evidence.

• Practical ideas for embedding inclusion across research, policy, and practice.
• A draft Call to Action for Inclusive Evidence in Integrated Care.
• Stronger cross-national connections modelling inclusion in knowledge generation.