Overcoming Political Fragmentation: The Potential of Meso-Level Mechanisms; Comment on “Integration or Fragmentation of Health Care? Examining Policies and Politics in a Belgian Case Study”

Document Type : Commentary

Author

1 Bridgepoint Collaboratory for Research and Innovation, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health, Toronto, ON, Canada

2 Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

Abstract

Martens and colleagues’ paper “Integration or Fragmentation of Health Care? Examining Policies and Politics in a Belgian Case Study,” offers an in-depth examination of integrated care policy efforts in Belgium. A key finding in this case study was that political fragmentation proved too great an obstacle for integration efforts. In this commentary, I draw on the organizational behaviour and integrated care literatures to suggest how meso-level mechanisms related to sensemaking, distributive leadership, and evaluation could help overcome policy (or macro) level challenges like those experienced in Belgium. The commentary also suggests we need to consider and address both the process and normative challenges in these transformation efforts.

Keywords

  • epublished Author Accepted Version: March 5, 2022
  • epublished Final Version: March 12, 2022

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History

  • Receive Date: 11 January 2022
  • Revise Date: 26 February 2022
  • Accept Date: 02 March 2022
  • First Publish Date: 05 March 2022

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