Table 3.

Integration activities between primary care and hospital care across Asia

Countries	Integration activities between primary care and hospital care
China	• Primary care networks based on community health centers with different models of ownership and managements38–41
Hong Kong	• Integrated diabetes care • The Hong Kong Reference Framework for Preventive Care for Older Adults42 • Unified medical information system23
India	• Diabetes and hypertension via the mWellcare trial43 • Maternal and neonatal outcomes
Indonesia	• GERMAS – empowerment of primary care providers26 • Perinatal depression44 • Electronic integrated antenatal care45
Japan	• Long-term care insurance provides institutional, home, and community based benefits under a case manager21,32,46 • Example: dementia care as detailed under “Five-Year Plan for Promotion of Measures Against Dementia (Orange Plan)”
South Korea	• Large-scale databases/registries that are tied to the universal health care scheme33
Malaysia	• Limited integration where primary care physicians report lack of communication with peers. Tele-primary care was launched as a potential record-keeping system; limited clinics have it47–49
Philippines	• First Line Diabetes Care Project50 • Introduction of electronic medical records and enforced gatekeeping are part of the government’s plan36
Singapore	• Primary Care Networks initiative51 • Primary Care Dementia Clinic52
Taiwan	• Family Practice Integrated Care Project53 • Integrated Health and Long-term Care Study54,55
Thailand	• CKD trial: ESCORT based on Integrated CKD Care program56
Vietnam	• The MOH’s Direction of Healthcare Activities program is focused on the transfer of skills to lower level hospitals to support community-oriented activities at primary level57 • Health information systems are limited58

Notes: Countries across Asian regions have started to try or establish many integrated care activities based on the local context. This can include medical electronic records sharing and availability, patient registries, empowering of primary care health providers to handle chronic illness patients, etc. Most existing integrated care activities aim at chronic diseases and conditions. These initiatives have been proved to be effective in improving patient’s experience and care. Created from various sources (as per cited).

Abbreviations: GERMAS, Gerakan Masyarakat Hidup Sehat/Community Movement for Healthy Life; CKD, chronic kidney disease; ESCORT, Effectiveness of Integrated Care on Delaying Progression stage 3–4 Chronic Kidney Disease in Rural Communities of Thailand; MOH, Ministry of Health.