Policy makers, providers and researchers have been grappling with fragmented health care for decades, especially care for older adults. This has led to the rise of a range of strategies to help patients manage their journey through the health care system. Collectively, these strategies are meant to foster a more integrated care system for older adults. We know that models of integrated care should focus on collaborative care teams, patient and family engagement, access to specialized services and coordinated care. The goal of integrated care is to enhance quality of care, quality of life, patient and provider experience, and system efficiency across multiple settings and providers. This is especially important for frail older adults, whose care needs cut across a range of systems, providers and settings.
Our study objective includes observingthe co-design process to further understand knowledge translation processes among stakeholders. Our partners in the SW region (leading the Frail Seniors Strategy at St. Joseph’s Health Care London) will lead the co-development process with older adults with frailty, family caregivers and health care providers, to create an integrated model of care. Our aim in the co-design sessions is to understand how knowledge is co-created with diverse stakeholders, and how this knowledge is then applied to create system change. We also aim to determine best practices for engaging older adults with frailty and their caregivers in a co-design process.