Health and Social Care Policy and the Interprofessional ... - CAIPE

ehabilitation, with minority groups and the socially disadvantaged meriting
specific mention (p42).
Health 21 also has a large section on communicable diseases in which the
importance of collaboration is stressed. Aiming to significantly reduce the
incidence of non-communicable diseases by the year 2020 the WHO calls for
an integrated approach at national, regional and community levels with the
health sector being made specifically responsible for a broad inter-sectoral
approach (p58).
In 2006 with the threat of an impending global influenza pandemic and SARS
remaining a cause for concern, surely there is an even greater urgency for
collaboration across and within the interprofessional workforce.
A great deal of attention is also focused on the increasing number of people
living with long term conditions and on the importance of caring for people in
the final stage of their lives. Enhancing quality of life in conjunction with
maintaining dignity is seen as a key care objective.
Recognising that many people are living already with long term conditions and
that treatment and care are fundamental to enhancing their quality of life the
WHO concludes that ‘strong interaction is needed between emergency,
primary, secondary and tertiary care, with efficient processes for referral
between the various levels… well planned rehabilitation services’ are also
deemed essential (p59).
The WHO forecasts that the management of people living, or dying, of cancer
‘will increasingly be planned and delivered along integrated care pathways
between primary, secondary and tertiary care’ (p60). Agreeing outcome
based quality indicators is viewed as an essential criterion for success.
Other long term conditions such as diabetes will be managed by
‘comprehensive programmes…..with self care and community support as
major components’. Self care and family involvement are the keys to success
with national programmes expected to have a major impact on the health of
people with diabetes (p61).
Each of the examples cited above, in the words of the WHO, ‘emphasise the
importance of multi-sectoral and interdisciplinary approaches’ (p61).
In a later section of Health 21 the WHO concludes that ‘comprehensive,
pluralistic approaches to the treatment of impairment or disability are more
effective than single-track approaches’. They stress that people with
disabilities (and their organisations) must be guaranteed a major role in
planning and making decisions about national and local community
programmes to meet their special needs’ (p103-105). Again the importance
of inter-sectoral co-ordination and collaboration is viewed as critical for
success.
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