{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]],"date-time":"2026-10-01T12:07:04Z","timestamp":1790856424840,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"Ubiquity Press, Ltd.","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]],"date-time":"2026-10-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790812800000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Int J Integr Care"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Introduction: Health and social services face increasing fragmentation and costs, underscoring the need to transition toward more person-centered and integrated care. The Swedish government\u2019s \u2018Close Care\u2019 [N\u00e4ra v\u00e5rd] initiative promotes this transition by encouraging shared regional visions and roadmaps. However, translating a vision into practice remains challenging. This study aimed to explore the experiences of healthcare and social services stakeholders regarding the transition to Close Care, focusing on using a joint roadmap.\nMethods: This qualitative study included three focus groups with 19 regional healthcare and municipal social service representatives, analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.\nResults: Four main themes summarize the findings: 1) A rocky road toward Close Care; 2) A patchwork of Roadmap practices; 3) Navigating ambiguity: defining and positioning the roadmap; 4) Mobilizing shared meaning for Close Care and the roadmap.\nDiscussion: A growing understanding, awareness, and engagement with Close Care is demonstrated, although challenges, including limited cross-organizational leadership and dialogue, remain. Participants reported varied familiarity and strategic document use with the roadmap, which was often considered vague or irrelevant for actionable guidance.\nConclusion: Roadmap clarity, linked to measurable indicators, and strategic leadership and dialogue are required to strengthen relational coordination and transition toward more person-centered and integrated care.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.5334\/ijic.10226","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]],"date-time":"2026-10-01T11:14:00Z","timestamp":1790853240000},"page":"2","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Transition to \u2018Close Care\u2019 with a Joint Roadmap for Person-Centered and Integrated Care"],"prefix":"10.5334","volume":"26","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2918-3619","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Karin","family":"Str\u00f6mqvist B\u00e5\u00e5the","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4771-8349","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ulrica","family":"von Thiele Schwarz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9496-4342","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Osman","family":"Aytar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Malin","family":"Sj\u00f6qvist","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7418-6088","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marina","family":"Arkkukangas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"3285","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]]},"reference":[{"issue":"1","key":"key20261001111352_B1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"83","DOI":"10.1108\/JICA-06-2018-0042","article-title":"System wide collaboration? Health and social care leaders\u2019 perspectives on work across boundaries","volume":"27","year":"2019","journal-title":"Journal of Integrated Care"},{"key":"key20261001111352_B2","volume-title":"WHO global strategy on people-centred and integrated health services: Interim report","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2015"},{"key":"key20261001111352_B3","unstructured":"World Health Organization. Continuity and coordination of care: A practice brief to support implementation of the WHO framework on integrated and people-centred health services. [internet]. Geneva; 2018. Available from: https:\/\/apps.who.int\/iris\/handle\/10665\/274628"},{"issue":"4","key":"key20261001111352_B4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"264","DOI":"10.1108\/JICA-09-2018-0057","article-title":"Case definition for health and social care services integrated initiatives","volume":"27","year":"2019","journal-title":"Journal of Integrated Care"},{"issue":"3","key":"key20261001111352_B5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"304","DOI":"10.1108\/JHOM-06-2018-0176","article-title":"Lean implementation in healthcare supply chain: A scoping review","volume":"33","year":"2019","journal-title":"Journal of Health Organization and Management"},{"issue":"1","key":"key20261001111352_B6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"152","DOI":"10.1080\/13561820.2020.1864307","article-title":"Validation of a conceptual framework aimed to standardize and compare care integration initiatives: the project INTEGRATE framework","volume":"36","year":"2022","journal-title":"Journal of Interprofessional Care"},{"issue":"4","key":"key20261001111352_B7","first-page":"416","article-title":"Examining the nature of interprofessional practice: An initial framework validation and creation of the InterProfessional Activity Classification Tool (InterPACT)","volume":"32","year":"2017","journal-title":"Journal of Interprofessional Care"},{"issue":"9","key":"key20261001111352_B8","first-page":"1","article-title":"Harnessing a clinical-led governance model to overcome healthcare tribalism and drive innovation: A case study of Northumbria NHS Foundation Trust","volume":"37","year":"2022","journal-title":"Journal of Health Organization and Management"},{"issue":"Spec Ed","key":"key20261001111352_B9","article-title":"A decade of integration and collaboration: The development of integrated health care in Sweden 2000\u20132010","volume":"11","year":"2011","journal-title":"International Journal of Integrated Care"},{"issue":"S1","key":"key20261001111352_B10","article-title":"Diffusion of person-centred care within 27 European countries \u2013 interviews with managers, officials, and researchers at the micro, meso, and macro levels","volume":"23","year":"2023","journal-title":"International Journal of Integrated Care"},{"key":"key20261001111352_B11","volume-title":"J\u00e4mlik v\u00e5rd \u2013 normmedvetna perspektiv","year":"2022"},{"issue":"5","key":"key20261001111352_B12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"563","DOI":"10.1007\/s10654-025-01226-9","article-title":"The healthcare system in Sweden","volume":"40","year":"2025","journal-title":"European Journal of Epidemiology"},{"key":"key20261001111352_B13","first-page":"275","volume-title":"Omv\u00e5rdnadens grunder: Ansvar och utveckling","year":"2025","edition":"4th"},{"issue":"5","key":"key20261001111352_B14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"15","DOI":"10.1108\/JICA-06-2022-0032","article-title":"Knowledge management in a regional integrated health and social care system","volume":"31","year":"2023","journal-title":"Journal of Integrated Care"},{"key":"key20261001111352_B15","article-title":"Integrating network theory into the study of integrated healthcare","volume":"306","year":"2022","journal-title":"Social Science & Medicine"},{"key":"key20261001111352_B16","first-page":"181","volume-title":"Arbetslivet","year":"2022"},{"key":"key20261001111352_B17","volume-title":"The system of professions. An essay on the division of expert labor","year":"1988"},{"key":"key20261001111352_B18","volume-title":"Professional discretion in welfare services: Beyond street-level bureaucracy","year":"2016"},{"issue":"2\u20133","key":"key20261001111352_B19","first-page":"93","article-title":"The \u201cnew public management\u201d in the 1980s: Variations on a theme","volume":"20","year":"1995","journal-title":"Account Organ Soc"},{"issue":"1","key":"key20261001111352_B20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-9299.1991.tb00779.x","article-title":"A Public Management for all seasons?","volume":"69","year":"1991","journal-title":"Public Administration"},{"key":"key20261001111352_B21","volume-title":"The NHS and modern management: From managerialism to leadership","year":"1996"},{"key":"key20261001111352_B22","unstructured":"Nerg\u00e5rdh A. God och n\u00e4ra v\u00e5rd \u2013 en reform f\u00f6r ett h\u00e5llbart h\u00e4lso- och sjukv\u00e5rdssystem [Good and Close Care \u2013 a reform for a sustainable health care system]. Stockholm: Socialdepartementet; 2020. (Official Reports of the Swedish Government [SOU] 2020:19). Available from: https:\/\/www.regeringen.se\/rattsliga-dokument\/statens-offentliga-utredningar\/2020\/04\/sou-202019"},{"key":"key20261001111352_B23","unstructured":"Nolte E, McKee M. Does integrated care work? European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. 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Available from: https:\/\/www.vardanalys.se\/rapporter\/omtag-for-omstallning"},{"key":"key20261001111352_B27","volume-title":"The action research dissertation: A guide for students and faculty","year":"2005"},{"key":"key20261001111352_B28","unstructured":"Region S\u00f6rmland. N\u00e4ra h\u00e4lsa \u2013 fr\u00e5n organisation till relation. N\u00e4rv\u00e5rd i S\u00f6rmland [Close Health \u2013 from organization to Relation]. Close Care in S\u00f6rmland]. 2020; Dnr: NSV20-012-3. Available from: https:\/\/www.fou.sormland.se\/media\/3232\/projektrapport-nara-vard-i-sormland.pdf"},{"key":"key20261001111352_B29","unstructured":"Region S\u00f6rmland. F\u00e4rdplan N\u00e4ra v\u00e5rd S\u00f6rmland 2025\u20132027 S\u00f6rmland [Roadmap for Close Care in S\u00f6rmland 2025\u20132027]: Committee NSV; 2025. Case no.: NSV25-0023-5 [cited 2026 Jun 1]. 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Kloka kliniska val [Wise Clinical Choices]. 2023. 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