PhD Defence Esmee Bally

Healthy ageing is a global priority as people worldwide are living longer. With longer lifespans, older adults are at increased risk of chronic conditions. Service provision based on disease-specific guidelines can be inappropriate for people with multiple health conditions; care can become duplicative and inefficient due to poor coordination. Person-centred integrated care is seen as a promising approach to delivering care that is proactive, coordinated and centred around people’s needs. In addition, digital health technology has the potential to involve patients better in their care process and could, therefore, support person-centred integrated care.

The research described in this thesis provides insights into the determinants of health outcomes that matter to older adults (Part 1), stakeholder perspectives regarding person-centred integrated care supported by digital health technology (Part 2), and how to design and evaluate appropriate person-centred integrated care (Part 3).