Governing integrated care networks through collaborative inquiry

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a theory of governing in integrated care networks. Asking how and why the governance of these networks emerges and evolves over time, it responds to calls for more innovative thinking in this field.

Design/methodology/approach – Data result from a rare longitudinal qualitative case study conducted with the Healthcare Centre Lower Engadin, the lead organisation of pioneering health and social care network in a rural Swiss region.

Findings – Actors governed the network through repetitive sequences of collaborative inquiry, a practice through which they defined and addressed recurrent problems of network governance and joint network action in creative and experimental ways.

Research limitations/implications – Explaining how and why the governance of integrated care networks emerges and evolves, this study adds a dynamic theory to previous research, which has studied the determinants of effective network governance without considering their temporal evolution. It also contributes to the wider network literature, drawing attention to the pivotal role of meaning making, creativity and experimentation for understanding network governance dynamics.

Practical implications – The study invites practitioners to reflect on how they want to design collaborative inquiry in their own contexts. Important design levers include the creation of communication forums, trust and information transparency.

Originality/value – The study adds a rare longitudinal perspective on the governance of integrated care networks.