Theory: institutions and actors

The chapter sets out the theoretical and conceptual framework for analyzing the coordination of healthcare and long-term care systems in European welfare states. The basic conditions for coordination are set by institutions, but actual practices also depend on how different organizations and professions are working together in the field. The chapter combines institutional theory with an actor-centered approach. Coordination needs trust in institutions as well as among organizations and professions involved in care processes. The key for understanding cross-national differences in coordination is therefore institutional settings and organizational and occupational structures in individual countries. The main focus of the analysis is on two critical interfaces between healthcare and long-term care systems: the transition from acute care in hospitals to long-term care at home, and integrated homecare.