Do Austrian “INTEGRI (integrated care) projects” comply with international definitions and concepts?

One of the biggest challenges for European healthcare systems is the fragmentation of care. To overcome this challenge, integrated care (IC) approaches have been recently implemented. To further improve this method, current and past projects must be monitored and evaluated. However, since the definition of IC is very indistinct and varies significantly in literature, key elements have to be defined. The study design selected was a mixed-methods study that includes two approaches: a systematic literature review and qualitative content analysis of the data provided by the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute. Nine key elements of IC projects were identified in the literature review and subsequently compared with the main features coded from previous INTEGRI applications. The results showed that 41 of the applications presented seven or more criteria in their official submission form. The conclusion of the results can be drawn as a justification and validation of the INTEGRI criteria. Although the results are positive on the whole, three recommendations on possible improvements are given.