Abstract
Introduction: Integrated care networks (ICNs) are rising in the health policy landscape as new promising delivery systems that provide better connected, seamless and responsive patient-centred care and services to local populations. With community engagement at its core, this new model brings health and social service providers and patients together in order to design population health-based solutions to care. Robust, representative, and evidence-based engagement is critical to the success of ICNs. However, to this day, few attempts have been made to develop research-based assessment tools that measure the nature of existing community engagement structures amongst ICN partners.
Aims, Objectives, Theory or Methods: Building on a scoping review and empirical data we aim to demonstrate to integrated health system practitioners an evidence-based community engagement assessment tool. This tool can help identify pools of prospective community members and delineate evidence-based approaches to communication and engagement.
We systematically investigated bibliographic databases to search, screen and select relevant literature on integrated care community engagement. The preliminary tool was then reviewed and further developed by integrated health partners, patients, and academic advisors before its pilot with integrated health partners. Given that development of this tool is at a pilot stage, ICIC session attendees will also be invited to offer feedback during and after the conference presentation.
Highlights or Results or Key Findings: First, the presentation will show features of The Community Assessment Tool. This includes a series of open and closed-ended (binary and Likert scale) questions that are to be administered to the partners within ICNs who are known to regularly interface with patients, caregivers, volunteers and community members. It will also show how principles for effective community engagement including equity, diversity and inclusion and access to engagement, in addition to theories of community organization and community building have been incorporated. The tool will be displayed on the digital platform used to pilot it in three integrated care networks in early 2022 in Ontario (‘Ontario Health Teams’).
Next it will offer methodological insights on developing assessment tools in addition to recommendations for future practice emanating from its community co-design and pilot phases.
Finally we will share preliminary results from the pilot and demonstrate how this data will inform and impact community engagement strategy and mapping.
Conclusions: Building on partners’ strengths is a common approach when implementing innovative approaches across network structures. Consequently, before each integrated care network starts its community engagement activities, it is critical to create a window of equal opportunity through which to understand existing community engagement structures amongst its partners using standardized techniques.
Implications for applicability/transferability, sustainability, and limitations: This tool has the potential inform and guide community engagement activities by filling a current critical gap; the rapid assessment of existing community engagement structures and activities amongst partner organizations within an integrated care network. It’s function ultimately supports fulsome engagement reflective of the whole community that networks are designed to serve.