Understanding the diversity of alliance governance in OECD healthcare settings: A structured narrative review

Abstract

Purpose

Healthcare alliances are a mechanism for developing collaborative and integrated care governance and service delivery arrangements. Yet is not known how widespread alliance arrangements are in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, how alliances function or how effective they are. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of alliances in OECD countries, including key areas covered and how performance is measured.

Design/methodology/approach

A structured narrative review of literature published between 2010 and 2018 was undertaken, focussed on OECD countries. The literature included peer-reviewed articles as well as publications from key policy analysis organisations.

Findings

Many OECD countries have implemented integrated care models but only a small number had explicitly adopted health alliances that link primary and secondary providers under joint governance arrangements. Most alliances are pilot initiatives and not broadly adopted. Most had not adopted a unified performance measurement framework.

Practical implications

Policy makers and service providers interested in joint governance arrangements that support integration must consider the range of potential options overviewed in this paper, as well as how to create supportive performance measurement frameworks.

Originality/value

This is the first narrative review of alliance arrangements in OECD countries. It provides an overview of arrangements, while illustrating that there is considerable scope for further alliance development.

Citation

Cousins, K., Gauld, R. and Greatbanks, R. (2020), "Understanding the diversity of alliance governance in OECD healthcare settings: A structured narrative review", Journal of Integrated Care, Vol. 28 No. 2, pp. 183-195. https://doi.org/10.1108/JICA-07-2019-0033