PERSPECTIVE article
Front. Med.
Sec. Family Medicine and Primary Care
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1464699
The Evolving Landscape of Health and Social Care Integration: In Search of a Unifying Theory
Provisionally accepted
Kheng Hock Lee1,2,3*
Chien Earn Lee1,4- 1Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
- 2Singhealth Community Hospitals, Singapore, Singapore
- 3Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
- 4Singapore Health Services Pte Ltd, Singapore, Singapore
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This paper explores the co-evolution of theoretical paradigms and care models within health and social care through the lens of complexity science. It argues that this co-evolution, characterized by a dynamic interplay between abstract principles and tangible practices, propels health systems towards greater human -centeredness and interconnectedness. Theories, acting as "attractors," shape the landscape of possible care models, while the implementation and evaluation of these models, in turn, refine theoretical understanding. This continuous feedback loop, driven by emergent properties within the complex system of healthcare, fosters a dynamic evolution towards more holistic and effective care. The paper proposes a unifying framework to understand this ongoing process, emphasizing the interconnectedness of individual, community, and societal well-being. While further research is needed to validate this conceptual framework, it offers a valuable lens for analyzing historical trends and guiding future developments in health and social care.
Keywords: Social prescribing, Complexity, complexity sciencce, health system (Min5-Max 8), Care model
Received: 14 Jul 2024; Accepted: 23 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Lee and Lee. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Kheng Hock Lee, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
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