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Path Dependence and Integrated Care

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Handbook Integrated Care

Abstract

Using the theory of path dependence, this chapter increases our understanding of the hyper-stability of certain practices in health care as well as of the whole health system. Technological, institutional and organizational path dependences are based on self-reinforcing mechanisms that create such stability, making deviations from existing paths extremely difficult. If coordination and complementarity or learning and adaptive expectation effects are at work, transformation towards more integrated care will be difficult, if not impossible. Policy makers, health professionals and health care managers should be aware of these difficulties when aiming for technological, institutional or organizational change.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Management, Freie Universität Berlin, Garystr, 21, 14195, Berlin, Germany

    Carolin Auschra & Jörg Sydow

Authors
  1. Carolin Auschra
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  2. Jörg Sydow
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Correspondence to Carolin Auschra .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Health System Research, Medical School Hannover, Hannover, Germany

    Volker Amelung

  2. Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Viktoria Stein

  3. Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada

    Esther Suter

  4. University of Newcastle, Gosford, NSW, Australia

    Nicholas Goodwin

  5. Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK

    Ellen Nolte

  6. Innovation Division and Clalit Research Institute, Clalit Health Services, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Ran Balicer

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Auschra, C., Sydow, J. (2021). Path Dependence and Integrated Care. In: Amelung, V., Stein, V., Suter, E., Goodwin, N., Nolte, E., Balicer, R. (eds) Handbook Integrated Care. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69262-9_8

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