{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,14]],"date-time":"2026-07-14T13:20:38Z","timestamp":1784035238164,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"Ubiquity Press, Ltd.","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,14]],"date-time":"2026-07-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1783987200000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100018270","name":"Health Service Executive","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100018270","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Int J Integr Care"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Introduction: The primary focus of this paper is the application of case study design to investigate the integration of complex health services.\nDescription: This paper presents a co-created case study research project that examined the integration of a regional palliative care service. It outlines the study\u2019s design including the mixed-methods approach to data collection and the processes used for analysis and triangulation. The paper also details the tools and strategies implemented across the macro, meso, and micro levels of the service, offering practical insights into how case study research can be applied to explore the dynamics of integrated care.\nDiscussion: Case study methodology enables comprehensive, context-rich data collection and supports theory development through real-world observation. Its adaptability makes it particularly suited for evaluating complex systems. Co-creation added significant value by fostering interest-holders\u2019 engagement and enhancing the relevance and applicability of the findings. The iterative and flexible design also allowed the study to respond effectively to challenges such as COVID-19 restrictions and a national cyber-attack.\nConclusion: Case study research is a robust and flexible approach that provides deep insights into the integration of complex healthcare systems. Its co-creation potential and adaptability make it particularly useful in real-world health service evaluations.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.5334\/ijic.9818","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,14]],"date-time":"2026-07-14T12:47:28Z","timestamp":1784033248000},"page":"5","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Exploring the Applicability of Case Study Research in Investigating Service Integration"],"prefix":"10.5334","volume":"26","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0763-3076","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dominika","family":"Lisiecka","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3719-3622","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Edelweiss","family":"Aldasoro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1297-0237","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Niamh","family":"Lennox-Chhugani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8515-8285","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ingo","family":"Meyer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6067-6411","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Adriana","family":"Poppe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4383-8650","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"\u00c1ine","family":"Carroll","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"3285","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,14]]},"reference":[{"issue":"1","key":"key20260714124720_B1","article-title":"Studying complexity in health services research: desperately seeking an overdue paradigm shift","volume":"16","year":"2018","journal-title":"BMC Medicine"},{"key":"key20260714124720_B2","volume-title":"Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods","year":"2017"},{"key":"key20260714124720_B3","volume-title":"Case Study Research: Design and Methods","year":"2003"},{"key":"key20260714124720_B4","volume-title":"Case Study Research: Design and Methods","year":"2009"},{"issue":"1","key":"key20260714124720_B5","article-title":"Case study research for better evaluations of complex interventions: rationale and challenges","volume":"18","year":"2020","journal-title":"BMC Medicine"},{"issue":"4","key":"key20260714124720_B6","article-title":"Palliative Care: Too Good to Be True?","volume":"11","year":"2020","journal-title":"Rambam Maimonides Med J"},{"issue":"1","key":"key20260714124720_B7","article-title":"Understanding complexity \u2013 the palliative care situation as a complex adaptive system","volume":"19","year":"2019","journal-title":"BMC Health Services Research"},{"issue":"8","key":"key20260714124720_B8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"677","DOI":"10.1191\/0269216304pm962ra","article-title":"Case studies: a research strategy appropriate for palliative care?","volume":"18","year":"2004","journal-title":"Palliat Med"},{"issue":"6","key":"key20260714124720_B9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"446","DOI":"10.1177\/1744987119867737","article-title":"Lessons learnt: examining the use of case study methodology for nursing research in the context of palliative care","volume":"24","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Res Nurs"},{"issue":"5","key":"key20260714124720_B10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"545","DOI":"10.1188\/14.ONF.545-547","article-title":"The use of triangulation in qualitative research","volume":"41","year":"2014","journal-title":"Oncol Nurs Forum"},{"key":"key20260714124720_B11","volume-title":"The Research Act: A Theoretical Introduction to Sociological Methods","year":"2017"},{"issue":"4","key":"key20260714124720_B12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"473","DOI":"10.1177\/1558689819900585","article-title":"Methodological Rigor in Mixed Methods: An Application in Management Studies","volume":"14","year":"2020","journal-title":"Journal of Mixed Methods Research"},{"key":"key20260714124720_B13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-031-25376-8_104-2","volume-title":"Handbook of Integrated Care","year":"2025"},{"key":"key20260714124720_B14","article-title":"A new framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions: update of Medical Research Council guidance","volume":"374","year":"2021","journal-title":"BMJ"},{"key":"key20260714124720_B15","unstructured":"SCIROCCO Exchange [Internet]. 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