Papers by Katrien Danhieux
BMC Health Services Research
International Journal of Integrated Care, Nov 4, 2022
International Journal of Integrated Care
International Journal of Integrated Care
International Journal of Integrated Care

Background Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is an increasingly dominant disease. Interventions are more effe... more Background Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is an increasingly dominant disease. Interventions are more effective when carried out by a prepared and proactive team within an organised system—the integrated care (IC) model. The Chronic Care Model (CCM) provides guidance for its implementation, but scale-up of IC is challenging. In this paper, we used the CCM to investigate the current implementation of IC in primary care in Flanders (Belgium) and its variability in different practice types. Methods Belgium contains three different primary-care practice types: monodisciplinary fee-for-service practices, multidisciplinary fee-for-service practices and multidisciplinary capitation-based practices. Disproportional sampling was used to select a maximum of 10 practices for each type in three Flemish regions, leading to a total of 66 practices. The study employed a mixed methods design whereby the Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (ACIC) was complemented with interviews with general practitioners, nu...

International Journal of Public Health, Aug 9, 2022
Objective: To describe the design, delivery and evaluation of the 3rd Global Alliance for Chronic... more Objective: To describe the design, delivery and evaluation of the 3rd Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD) Implementation Science School (ISS), delivered virtually in 2020 for the first time. Methods: Since 2014, GACD has supported the delivery of more than ten Implementation Science Workshops for more than 500 international participants. It has also been conducting an annual ISS since 2018. In this study, we described the design, delivery and evaluation of the third ISS. Results: Forty-six participants from 23 countries in five WHO regions attended the program. The virtual delivery was well-received and found to be efficient in program delivery, networking and for providing collaborative opportunities for trainees from many different countries. The recently developed GACD Implementation Science e-Hub was found to be an instrumental platform to support the program by providing a stand-alone, comprehensive online learning space for knowledge and skill development in implementation research. Conclusion: The delivery of the virtual GACD ISS proved to be feasible, acceptable and effective and offers greater scalability and sustainability as part of a future strategy for capacity strengthening in implementation research globally.
Additional file 3: The impact of COVID-19 on chronic care_appendix1. Overview of participants.
Additional file 1: The impact of COVID-19 on chronic care_appendix1. Questionnaire used in the in... more Additional file 1: The impact of COVID-19 on chronic care_appendix1. Questionnaire used in the interviews.
Additional file 2: The impact of COVID-19 on chronic care_appendix2. COREQ checklist.

European Journal of Public Health, 2020
Introduction Chronic diseases form the largest burden of disease in European countries. Redesign ... more Introduction Chronic diseases form the largest burden of disease in European countries. Redesign of health systems towards chronic integrated care is needed, with more collaboration between first and second line, between medical and social services and support to prevention and self-management. What are the levers for change in such health systems? This study addresses this knowledge gap, through a policy analysis of barriers and facilitators for change towards chronic integrated care. Methods 26 central level stakeholders were selected, based upon their influence in regulation and policy, financing, health care provision and community representation. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were held covering assessment of past and current policies and implementation, barriers and opportunities for change. Results Reforms have taken place, such as the stimulation of local initiatives for chronic integrated care projects and the set-up of local care councils. Most stakeholders assess...

Background. The COVID-19 pandemic affects the processes of routine care for chronic patients. A b... more Background. The COVID-19 pandemic affects the processes of routine care for chronic patients. A better understanding helps to increase resilience of the health system and prepare adequately for a second wave or flare-ups of the pandemic.Methods. A qualitative study was conducted in 16 primary care practices: 6 solo working, 4 monodisciplinary and 7 multidisciplinary. 21 people (doctors, nurses, dieticians) were interviewed, using semi-structured video interviews. A thematic analysis was done using the domains of the Chronic Care Model (CCM).Results. Three themes emerged: changes in health care organization, risk stratification and self-management support. All participating practices reported drastic changes in organization with a collective shift towards COVID-19 care, and reduction of chronic care activities, less consultations, and staff responsible for self-management support put on hold. A transition to digital support did not occur. Few practitioners had a systematic approach t...

Background. To assess the quality of integrated diabetes care, we should be able to follow the pa... more Background. To assess the quality of integrated diabetes care, we should be able to follow the patient throughout the care path, monitor his/her care process and link them to his/her health outcomes, while simultaneously link this information to the primary care system and its performance on the structure and organization related quality indicators. However the development process of such a data framework is challenging, even in period of increasing and improving health data storage and management. This study aims to develop an integrated multi-level data framework for quality of diabetes care and to operationalize this framework in the fragmented Belgium health care and data landscape.Methods. Based on document reviews and iterative expert consultations, theoretical approaches and quality indicators were identified and assessed. After mapping and assessing the validity of existing health information systems and available data sources through expert consultations, the theoretical fr...

Introduction Although the concept of integrated care for non-communicable diseases was introduced... more Introduction Although the concept of integrated care for non-communicable diseases was introduced at the primary level to move from disease-centered to patient-centered care, it has only been partially implemented in European countries. The aim of this study was to identify and compare identified facilitators and barriers to scale-up this concept between Slovenia and Belgium. Methods This was a qualitative study. Fifteen focus groups and fifty-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with stakeholders at the micro, meso and macro levels. In addition, data from two previously published studies were used for the analysis. Data collection and analysis was initially conducted at country level. Finally, the data was evaluated by a cross-country team to assess similarities and differences between countries. Results Four topics were identified in the study: patient-centered care, teamwork, coordination of care and task delegation. Despite the different contexts, true teamwork and pati...

BACKGROUND Globally, health systems have been struggling to cope with the increasing burden of ch... more BACKGROUND Globally, health systems have been struggling to cope with the increasing burden of chronic diseases and respond to associated patient needs. Integrated care (IC) for chronic diseases offers solutions, but implementing these new models requires multi-stakeholder action and integrated policies to address social, organisational, and financial barriers. Policy implementation for IC has been little studied, especially through a political lens. This paper examines how IC policies in Belgium were developed over the last decade and how stakeholders have played a role in these policies. METHODS We used a case study design. After an exploratory document review, we selected three IC policies. We then interviewed 25 key stakeholders in the field of IC. The stakeholder analysis entailed a detailed mapping of the stakeholders' power, position, and interest related to the three selected policies. Interview participants included policy-makers, civil servants (from ministry of health...
International Journal of Integrated Care
International Journal of Integrated Care

Global Health Action
Health systems worldwide struggle to manage the growing burden of type 2 diabetes and hypertensio... more Health systems worldwide struggle to manage the growing burden of type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Many patients receive suboptimal care, especially those most vulnerable. An evidence-based Integrated Care Package (ICP) with primary care-based diagnosis, treatment, education and self-management support and collaboration, leads to better health outcomes, but there is little knowledge of how to scale-up. The Scale-up integrated care for diabetes and hypertension project (SCUBY) aims to address this problem by roadmaps for scaling-up ICP in different types of health systems: a developing health system in a lower middle-income country (Cambodia); a centrally steered health system in a high-income country (Slovenia); and a publicly funded highly privatised health-care health system in a high-income country (Belgium). In a quasi-experimental multi-case design, country-specific scale-up strategies are developed, implemented and evaluated. A three-dimensional framework assesses scale-up along three axes: (1) increase in population coverage; (2) expansion of the ICP package; and (3) integration into the health system. The study includes a formative, intervention and evaluation phase. The intervention entails the development and implementation of an improved scale-up strategy through a roadmap with a minimum dataset to monitor proximal and distal outcomes. The SCUBY project is expected to result in three different roadmaps, tailored to the specific health system and country context, to progress scale-up of the ICP along three dimensions. These roadmaps can be adapted to other health systems with similar typology. Implementation is expected to increase the number of well-controlled patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension in Cambodia, to reduce inequities in care and increase patient empowerment in Belgium and Slovenia.

BMC Family Practice
Background The COVID-19 pandemic affects the processes of routine care for chronic patients. A be... more Background The COVID-19 pandemic affects the processes of routine care for chronic patients. A better understanding helps to increase resilience of the health system and prepare adequately for next waves of the pandemic. Methods A qualitative study was conducted in 16 primary care practices: 6 solo working, 4 monodisciplinary and 7 multidisciplinary. Twenty-one people (doctors, nurses, dieticians) were interviewed, using semi-structured video interviews. A thematic analysis was done using the domains of the Chronic Care Model (CCM). Results Three themes emerged: changes in health care organization, risk stratification and self-management support. All participating practices reported drastic changes in organization with a collective shift towards COVID-19 care, and reduction of chronic care activities, less consultations, and staff responsible for self-management support put on hold. A transition to digital support did not occur. Few practitioners had a systematic approach to identif...
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Papers by Katrien Danhieux