Defining Preventive Health Services and Exploring Implementation Strategies under the Integrated Care Model: Taking Type 2 Diabetes Care As an Example

Background The value of "Integration of medical services and preventive services" has been expanded from improving the quality of chronic disease care to driving the transformation of the entire health system from a "treatment-centered" to a "health-centered" approach, while also contributing to cost control and efficiency improvement of the health system. However, the definition of "preventive services" remains unclear. Objective Using Type 2 diabetes care as a case, this study aims to conceptualize "preventive services" and specify corresponding service items, while exploring the pathways to implement these services. Methods Theoretical deduction was conducted based on the social determinants of health framework, the concept of tertiary prevention, policy implementation theory, and the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour (COM-B) model. Furthermore, a synthesis of published research and guidelines was performed to construct a conceptual framework and implementation pathways for preventive services. Results The developed conceptual framework for type 2 diabetes "preventive services" features a cross-cutting structure, encompassing the entire disease continuum from health to rehabilitation after functional impairment, and incorporates interventions at macro, community, and individual levels. Services at the individual level also incorporate a family perspective. Regarding implementation, four key pathways are proposed, including "accountability" "capacity building" "financial incentives" and "resource allocation and enabling conditions". Conclusion Using type 2 diabetes as an example, this study defines "preventive service items" and explores pathways for their adoption and execution within the policy framework of a Compact Medical Consortium. The definition spans macro, community, and individual levels. The study posits that "accountability" "capacity building" "financial incentives" and "resource allocation and enabling conditions" can be used in Compact Medical Consortium to facilitate the implementation of preventive services. All these efforts will contribute to foster a shift in mindset and practice from "treatment-centered" to "prevention-centered", and to provide concrete, actionable suggestions to advance "integration of medical and prevention services".