How can population health leadership support integrated care policy and delivery models?

Introduction and Background: The School of Population Health at RCSI is developing a new suite of education awards in Population Health Leadership aimed at building capability across health and social care systems to empower policy makers, clinical professionals, care providers, patients, advocates and the public at large to understand population health approaches and goals, make evidence-informed decisions for better population health, and drive coordinated actions that makes a difference. Underpinning this logic is the idea that population health and integrated care are mutually enhancing ideals for which innovative thinking, processes and interventions, including training and education, are needed. The aim of the Network Session is to explore how these linkages can be developed and how a 'population health leadership' approach can support integrated care delivery in practice. Who is this Network Session for? We would welcome a broad selection of delegates for a structured, exploratory conversation. Nonetheless, given the importance of public health in this space, practitioners working in community care would be welcome, as would policy makers and managers responsible for population health profiling and resource allocation. Researchers and patient advocates would also add to the conversation as we seek to identify synergies and practical ways in which the population health agenda and population health leadership in particular can enhance integrated care delivery at multiple system levels. Who is involved so far? In developing our new education programme in population health leadership we have engaged a range of stakeholders from within our School and more broadly throughout the Irish health and social care system. This has included decision makers from public and private sectors. Our proposals are also in the process of international peer review. What are we doing? Accrediting, developing and delivering a suite of awards in population health leadership that will be delivered online to an international audience. What question for international delegates? The structured conversation proposed is aimed at network engagement with questions relating to how a population health approach to service planning, delivery and outcomes management can support integrated care design, coordination and delivery - and in particular what could be the role of population health leaders in forwarding this agenda? Also relevant is exploration of who 'population health leaders' are? Who currently fits that profile, and should we be thinking outside established workforce categories, roles or boundaries when we imagine leadership in this space?