Development of regional service pathways in social and
health care 

In Finland, there are a number of different actors providing social and
health care services in the public, private and third sector. Legal regulations
stipulate that the methods of collaboration used in quality management and
implementation of patient safety must be agreed upon regionally. The importance
of regional collaboration is likely to increase when the social and health care
reform is implemented. This interview study focused on the state and needs of
regional collaboration in three units of one university hospital district and
in three municipalities within the same area. The material was collected with
semi-structured theme interviews from persons responsible for quality
management or its coordination within the organisations. The interviews were
analysed with content analysis using material-based methods. The ways of regional
collaboration between the social and health care organisations surveyed in the
study varied. The informants described collaboration methods and practices used
in regional collaboration that differed in terms of scope and degree of
systematicality. Participation in national and regional projects and networks
as well as development of individual service processes
were common. The informants identified joint regional developmental needs,
such as a uniform quality management framework, descriptions of client
processes, evaluation and development of interface work, increased
implementation of a health-promotion approach, supporting the operation of
primary health care, and dissemination of information related to patient care
via electronic systems. It was noteworthy that the informants recognised the third sector as a key collaboration partner, whereas they
ignored the private sector. Neither did they describe endeavors of integrative
social and health care. According to the
informants, the social and health care
service providers shared a common vision and were prepared to respond to the
need of increased regional collaboration required by the proposed social and
health care reform.

Social and health care
services, regional service pathways, quality management