Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Taking the county-level medical alliance in Luojiang District, Deyang City, Sichuan Province as an example, we analyzed the innovative mechanisms and implementation pathways of medical care and prevention integration of the county-level medical alliance, aiming to provide theoretical and empirical support for promoting the integration of treatment and prevention. METHODS: Using the SFIC model of the collaborative governance theory as the main analytical framework, we systematically analyzed the innovative practices and mechanisms of medical and preventive integration within the county-level medical alliance in Luojiang District from 4 dimensions, including starting conditions (S), facilitative leadership (F), institutional design (I), and collaborative process (C), and evaluated their operational effectiveness. RESULTS: The county-level medical alliance of Luojiang District has achieved enhanced effectiveness in medical care and prevention integration through top-level design, institutional restructuring, the empowerment of information platforms with digital intelligence technology, and the incentivization of multiple stakeholders to participate in the collaborative process. In 2024, the severe case rates of 2 chronic diseases (hypertension and diabetes mellitus) and the premature mortality rates of 4 chronic diseases (cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes mellitus) in Luojiang District decreased by 4.4% and 5.53%, respectively, compared to those in 2023. The total medical insurance fund expenditure in the district in 2024 decreased by 9.13% compared to that in 2023. CONCLUSION: According to the analysis based on the SFIC model, future efforts in medical care and prevention integration should focus on collaborative innovation at four levels-individual, community, institutional, and system-to further advance the transition toward a service model centered on population health.