Adoption and Initial Implementation of a National Integrated Care Programme for Diabetes: A Realist Evaluation

Background: The implementation of models of integrated care for chronic conditions is not well understood. We conducted a realist evaluation to determine how and why the implementation of the National Diabetes Programme in Ireland worked (or not). Methods: Documentary analysis and qualitative interviews with a purposive sample of national stakeholders (n = 19), were used to develop an initial theory on expected programme delivery. We refined this theory using semi-structured interviews (n = 38) with professionals from different clinical disciplines involved in programme implementation. Results: Locally important contexts facilitating implementation included staff experience of delivering diabetes care, capacity, and familiarity with the intended purpose of new clinical posts. The extent to which integrated care was adopted and implemented depended on judgements made by professionals working in these contexts; specifically, judging the relative advantage of the programme and whether to engage in negotiations to legitimize their new roles in diabetes care. Conclusions: Our results highlight the need for adequate preparatory work to raise awareness of and support new roles to implement integrated care, clarification on the core components of new care models, and the development of local service infrastructures to support integrated care.