Abstract
Modular integration refers to the comprehensive bundling of healthcare services, products, and information to provide a coordinated, specialized approach to manage a variety of healthcare conditions, populations, professionals, interventions, or settings. Currently, the bestknown examples of modulator integration are disease management initiatives. Yet disease management represents only one type of modular integration. Early initiatives in modular integration have already demonstrated the ability to redesign healthcare delivery processes, yield substantial quality and cost improvements, provide a solid foundation for innovative financial arrangements, and offer tremendous competitive advantages and business opportunities. The earliest sign of true integration, integrated modules serve as the building blocks of an evolving healthcare system called "integrated care," which has the potential to redefine care delivery and play a major role in restructuring the industry. The objectives of this article are to classify and provide examples of modular integration, delineate the primary drivers of the movement, and discuss the implications of modular integration.
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