Organizational innovation and chronic care. 1. Cooperation between distant partners

Summary Improvement in the treatment of chronic diseases and psychosocial ailments depends to a great extent on better cooperation and coordination between the various stakeholders. A number of innovative initiatives such as networks have been launched to promote care integration, but they very often come up against the problem of the distances between participants, which leads to compartmentalisation and dispersion. First, the article tries to define the different forms of distances causing the problems. Next, it focuses on measures that might reduce the distance between professionals. Such measures might involve strengthening the communication between them, mobilising them around a cooperation project or setting up a steering process to reconcile their various objectives and attitudes. Lastly, the article analyses the dynamic processes that enable innovative projects to develop and become new benchmarks for the healthcare system. Prat Organ Soins. 2011;42(2):111-118