Sustainable interface management in integrated care

INTRODUCTION: In the context of integrated care, the involved organisations are expected to improve their co-operation and co-ordination. Although this postulation is not new, we still encounter problems with integrated care, which can be ascribed to a lack of information and co-operation of the involved organisations. This prevents sustainability in integrated care. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To better understand the causes for these problems, analysis approaches have to be embedded in a systemic context. This presentation aims at describing the organisational routines and structures, which help to unleash the view for organisations' self-logic of their behaviour and decision finding. METHODS: I will focus on the theoretical aspects of sustainability and interface management, using a systems theoretical and network analysis approach. Empirical data are not available yet. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Organisations follow their own logic, which may appear ‘irrational’ to outside observers. Since this applies to all involved organisations, a sustainable interface management can hardly be achieved by establishing the same binding rules for organisations with different structures and routines. Taking this into consideration, alternative approaches of sustainability conceptualisation in the context of integrated care are discussed and the importance of analysing organisational structures and routines are highlighted.