Academic Journal
Municipal intermediate care services in Denmark and Norway: a cross-country comparative analysis.
| Τίτλος: | Municipal intermediate care services in Denmark and Norway: a cross-country comparative analysis. |
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| Συγγραφείς: | Udesen SEJ; Emergency Medicine Research Unit, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.; Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark., Sogstad MKR; Centre for Care Research, Norwegian University of Science and Technology-NTNU, Trondheim, Norway., Veenstra M; Centre for Care Research, Norwegian University of Science and Technology-NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.; Health Service Research Unit (HØKH), Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway., Lassen AT; Emergency Medicine Research Unit, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.; Department of Emergency Medicine, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark., Skinner MS; Centre for Care Research, Norwegian University of Science and Technology-NTNU, Trondheim, Norway. |
| Πηγή: | Scandinavian journal of primary health care [Scand J Prim Health Care] 2026 Dec; Vol. 44 (1), pp. 2644949. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 May 11. |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article; Comparative Study |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: Taylor & Francis Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 8510679 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1502-7724 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 02813432 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Scand J Prim Health Care Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Publication: Philadelphia, PA : Taylor & Francis Original Publication: Stockholm, Sweden : Almqvist & Wiksell Periodical Co., [1983- |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Intermediate Care Facilities*/organization & administration , Community Health Services*/organization & administration, Norway ; Denmark ; Humans ; Health Care Reform ; Patient Discharge |
| Περίληψη: | Background: Intermediate care is increasingly used to reduce hospital admissions and support early discharge from hospital. In Denmark and Norway, health reforms have shifted responsibilities from hospitals to municipalities, prompting the development of community-based intermediate care services. Objective: To compare how Danish and Norwegian municipalities have organised and implemented municipal intermediate care services. Design: A descriptive comparative study based on national legislation, policy documents, research literature and public statistics. Results: Both countries have established municipal intermediate care structures centred on service types: acute and non-acute intermediate care. In Denmark, acute intermediate care includes statutory acute care teams and optional acute care beds, whereas Norway provides statutory acute care beds only. Acute services in both countries are regulated by national guidelines and aim to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions. Non-acute intermediate care mainly consists of temporary institutional beds used for early-supported discharge, rehabilitation, recovery, nursing home waiting placements and respite care. These services are less strictly regulated and vary between municipalities. In both countries, intermediate care primarily targets older adults with complex health needs exceeding the capacity of ordinary long-term care services. Differences were observed in referral pathways, clinical capacity and the degree of municipal autonomy, reflecting broader contextual conditions such as geography, governance structures and workforce availability. Conclusion: Although Denmark and Norway pursue similar policy goals, their organisational models for municipal intermediate care differ. Distinguishing between acute and non-acute intermediate care highlights the importance of adapting service models to local structural and demographic conditions and informs policy development and cross-country learning. |
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| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Intermediate care; admission avoidance; community; early discharge; municipal; short-term care |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260511 Date Completed: 20260716 Latest Revision: 20260813 |
| Update Code: | 20260813 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC13162562 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/02813432.2026.2644949 |
| PMID: | 42114701 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1502-7724 |
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| DOI: | 10.1080/02813432.2026.2644949 |