Value-based health care in mobile integrated health for acute elderly care: A qualitative study of health care professionals in Finland.
Health Care Management Review · 2026-07-01 · Qualitative study
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Health care service providers face increasing challenges in delivering high-quality care due to an aging population, workforce shortages, and limited financial budgets. Mobile Integrated Healthcare (MIH) offers an alternative value-based solution for elderly patients with manageable acute conditions at home. Finland is piloting this model, but its value, task redesign, and cost-efficiency require thorough evaluation before formal integration. PURPOSE: This study explores the value of MIH for patients and the health care system through the lens of value creation, delivery, and capture. METHODS: Qualitative data were collected via semistructured interviews with 21 frontline health care professionals (HCPs) involved in Finland's MIH service. RESULTS: MIH provides human-centered acute care for the elderly, enabling convenient access to emergency services at home and reducing unnecessary hospital visits. Value is cocreated through integrated networks of emergency and social services, leveraging paramedics' and geriatric nurses' expertise while standardizing care pathways. Effective implementation requires coordination and task-shifting across emergency departments, MIH teams, and social care providers. CONCLUSIONS: MIH enhances care quality, supports elderly independence, and contributes to the sustainability of the health care system by reducing emergency interventions and hospitalizations. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Health managers should prioritize skill development for health care professionals (HCPs), integration across governance, service, HCPs, and patient levels, and the establishment of coordinated information systems. This study offers policymakers a valuable example of how MIH can be organized within a collective, publicly funded health care system to promote equity, accessibility, and sustainability for value-based health care.
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Tags
Ambulance & prehospital nurses · Nursing & care homes · Cost & cost-effectiveness · Equity & disparities · Implementation · Interagency collaboration · Older adults · Paramedics & EMTs
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