Activities, prerequisites, and outcomes of service coordination: A logic model for the ‘New Patterns’ intervention

Abstract

In Norway, more than one in ten children grow up in low-income families. Persistent low income and its consequences are often transferred across generations, and coordinated cross-sectoral services are potentially part of a solution. In this study, we present a logic model for the ‘New patterns’ intervention. This new service, which aims to prevent the transfer of poverty and accompanying social, financial and health-related consequences across generations, was designed to integrate health and social care for low-income families. The logic model facilitates robust evaluation of the intervention’s effectiveness. New Patterns is an intervention promoting comprehensive and coordinated efforts for families with children who struggle with persistent low income and experience complex challenges. In this intervention, a family coordinator is responsible for conducting close follow-ups with children and adults in ten families over a period of five years. We identified ten activities in the family coordinator’s follow-up of the participating families. These elements are presented in a logic model, which illustrates the potential mechanisms linking activities, prerequisites and short and long-term outcomes. Detailed descriptions of a logic model are useful for its implementation and model fidelity. Thus far, only a few studies have described the constituent activities of coordinating functions. Therefore, this article contributes knowledge on how coordination activities may unfold, and how these activities are interconnected with prerequisites and outcomes. We argue for a more detailed and holistic approach to service coordination and functions that address complex challenges, such as poverty and social inequality.