Developing an integrated care curriculum framework for undergraduate health and social care education within an integrated care system

Purpose
Global adoption of integrated care provides opportunities for enhancing life outcomes and personalised services and addressing health and social inequality, with the attainment of these aspirations requiring specific educational interventions. This project sought to address the paucity of available interventions within the literature by presenting an effective curriculum framework for training pre-registration health and social care students to provide integrated care within the primary context of English integrated care systems.

Design/methodology/approach
An action research approach developed the curriculum framework in four stages: (1) a literature review identified existing evidence available for educating students around integrated care; (2) thematic mapping of professional standards and health and social care course learning outcomes confirmed the elements required for successful practice; (3) student evaluation of the mapping outputs and perspectives on integrated care confirmed applicability to programmes and (4) conceptualisation of the final framework.

Findings
The curriculum framework comprises eight domains, each containing competency requirements to achieve the overall outcome aligned to successful practice in integrated care and within integrated care systems. The presented framework provides the overall thematic outcome for the domain and the learning outcomes required. The framework is centralised by person-centred care as a hallmark of effective practice and commitment within integrated care.

Research limitations/implications
The framework offers a tailored approach to educating undergraduate health and social care students around integrated care and working within integrated care systems.

Practical implications
The framework offers a new and novel mechanism for training the future workforce in integrated care and for working in integrated care systems.

Originality/value
The integrated care curriculum framework offers an opportunity to address the current evidence gap of interventions designed to train students for future practice in integrated care and within integrated care systems and the requirements of professional education for enhancing knowledge in the field.