Exploring the Role of Volunteer Organizations in Developing Italy’s Community-Based Care Model
References
- World Health Organization. Primary Health Care. Report of the International Conference on Primary Health Care, Alma-Ata, USSR. Geneva, Switzerland:
World Health Organization ; 1978. Available from:https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9241800011 . - Capolongo S, Buffoli M, Oppio A, Rizzitiello S. Healthy Design and Urban Planning Strategies, Actions, and Policy to Achieve Salutogenic Cities. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2015;12(10):13545–13562. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph121013545
- Brambilla A, Rebecchi A, Capolongo S. Evidence-Based Design for Healthcare Facilities: Opportunities and Limitations for Providing Healthy Hospitals. Ann Ig. 2022;34(3):236–244. DOI: 10.7416/ai.2022.2501
- Rifkin SB. Examining the Links Between Community Participation and Health Outcomes: A Review of the Literature. Health Policy Plan. 2018;33(8). DOI: 10.1093/heapol/czx156
- Starfield B, Shi L, Macinko J. Contribution of Primary Care to Health Systems and Health. Milbank Q. 2005;83(3):457–502. DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-0009.2005.00409.x
- World Health Organization. Health Systems: Equity, Quality, and Cost-Effectiveness. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2023. Available from:
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241566184 . - Buffoli M, Capolongo S, Rebecchi A. How to Improve the Health of the Communities: The Role of the Urban Space in the Health-Promoting Hospital Network. Ann Ig. 2023;35(2):127–136. DOI: 10.7416/ai.2023.2505
- Donaldson MS, Yordy KD, Lohr KN, Vanselow NA, editors. Primary Care: America’s Health in a New Era. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 1996. DOI: 10.17226/5151
- Macinko J, Starfield B, Shi L. The Contribution of Primary Care Systems to Health Outcomes within Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Countries, 1970–1998. Health Serv Res. 2003;38(3):831–865. DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.00149
- Van Lerberghe W. Primary Health Care: Now More Than Ever. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2008. Available from:
https://www.who.int/whr/2008/whr08_en.pdf . - Levesque JF, Harris MF, Russell G. Patient-Centred Access to Health Care: Conceptualising Access at the Interface of Health Systems and Populations. Int J Equity Health. 2013;12:
18 . DOI: 10.1186/1475-9276-12-18 - Gaber N. The Role of Volunteers in Primary Care. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2020;9(10):439–443. DOI: 10.34172/ijhpm.2020.55
- Gilburt H. Supporting Integration through New Roles and Working Across Boundaries. London, UK: The King’s Fund; 2018. Available from:
https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/sites/default/files/2018-02/Supporting-integration-new-roles-working-across-boundaries_0.pdf . - Vanderstichelen S, Cohen J, Van Wesemael Y, Deliens L, Chambaere K. The Effect of Palliative Care Volunteering on Volunteers: A Systematic Review. Palliat Med. 2019;33(5):589–603. DOI: 10.1177/0269216319845794
- Hotchkiss RB, Unruh L, Fottler MD. The Role, Measurement, and Impact of Volunteerism in Hospitals. Nonprofit Volunt Sect Q. 2014;43(6):1111–1128. DOI: 10.1177/0899764014549057
- Campbell HS, Phaneuf MR, Deane K. Cancer Peer Support Programs—Do They Work? Patient Educ Couns. 2004;55(1):3–15. DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2003.10.001
- Macvean ML, White VM, Sanson-Fisher R, Carey ML. Breast Cancer Support and Unmet Needs (BCSUNS) Survey: Results of a Collaborative Study with Breast Cancer Support Groups in Victoria, Australia. Health Expect. 2008;11(4):309–316. DOI: 10.1111/j.1369-7625.2008.00497.x
- Wu YP, Thompson D, Aroian KJ, McQuaid EL, Deatrick JA. Commentary: Writing and Evaluating Qualitative Research Reports. J Pediatr Psychol. 2016;41(5):493–505. DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsv087
- Wells JL, Phillips LL, McGee R, Worthington S. Volunteer Health Workers and Primary Health Care Programs: Effects on the Burden of the Primary Health Care Team. Public Health Rep. 1990;105(5):543–548. DOI: 10.2307/3342767
- Faulkner G, Davies SC. Volunteer-Led Physical Activity Programs for Older Adults: A Review of Peer-Reviewed Literature. J Aging Phys Act. 2015;23(3):488–491. DOI: 10.1123/japa.2014-0192
- Latif A, Omar H, Morris K. The Contribution of Volunteers in Primary Care and Their Impact on Patient Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review. BMC Health Serv Res. 2021;21:
76 . DOI: 10.1186/s12913-020-06053-0 - Yaresheemi J, Weller J, Shahidi FV. Health Benefits of Volunteering: A Review of the Evidence. Health Soc Care Community. 2023;31(2):394–406. DOI: 10.1111/hsc.13839
- Hainsworth J, Barlow JH. Volunteers’ Experiences of Becoming Arthritis Self-Management Lay Leaders: “It’s Almost as if I’ve Stopped Aging and Started to Get Younger!”. Arthritis Care Res. 2001;45(4):378–387. DOI: 10.1002/art.11200
- Arnstein P, Vidal M, Wells-Federman C, Morgan B, Caudill M. From Chronic Pain Patient to Peer: Benefits and Risks of Volunteering. Pain Manag Nurs. 2002;3(3):94–103. DOI: 10.1053/jpmn.2002.126069
- Shalaby R, Agyapong VIO. Peer Support in Mental Health: Literature Review. JMIR Ment Health. 2020;7(6). DOI: 10.2196/15572
- Handy F, Srinivasan N. The Demand for Volunteer Labor: A Study of Hospital Volunteers. Nonprofit Volunt Sect Q. 2004;33(1):28–45. DOI: 10.1177/0899764003260961
- Alimehr M, Hashjin AA. Challenges to Volunteers’ Participation Towards Primary Health-Care System and Providing Managerial Solutions. J Educ Health Promot. 2021;10:
299 . DOI: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_1338_20 - Thomsen TL, Jensen NH. Volunteering in Health Care: Evidence for a European Union Study. Health Policy. 2020;124(6):591–597. DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2020.02.007
- Rimes C, Skeath P, Wells A. Overcoming Barriers to the Use of Volunteers in Patient Experience Improvement. J Patient Exp. 2017;4(3):121–128. DOI: 10.1177/2374373517715317
- Arenas A, Medina FJ, Euwema M, Munduate L. Inside “Pandora’s Box” of Solidarity: Conflicts Between Paid Staff and Volunteers in the Nonprofit Sector. Front Psychol. 2020;11:
517868 . DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00556 - Fernandes T, Matos MAd. Towards a better understanding of volunteer engagement: self-determined motivations, self-expression needs and co-creation outcomes. J Serv Theory Pract. 2023;33(7):1–27. DOI: 10.1108/JSTP-09-2022-0215
- von Schnurbein G, von Bockelberg L, Wicki S. The Impact of Volunteers in Health Promotion: New Evidence from a German Case Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(4):
2223 . DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19042223 - La Cour A. Volunteers and Their Roles in Local Community Health Programs: A Danish Case Study. J Community Health. 2022;47(4):731–737. DOI: 10.1007/s10900-022-01091-y
- Hasani M, Gorji HA, Panahi S. Recognition of Factors Affecting the Use of Volunteer Clinical Forces in Hospitals in Tehran: A Qualitative Study. J Educ Health Promot. 2021;10:
16 . DOI: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_635_20 - Alexander JA, Bae D. Does the Patient-Centred Medical Home Work? A Critical Synthesis of Research on Patient-Centred Medical Homes and Patient-Related Outcomes. Health Serv Manag Res. 2012;25(2):51–59. DOI: 10.1258/hsmr.2012.012001
- Odone A, Saccani E, Chiesa V, Brambilla A, Brianti E, Fabi M, et al. The Implementation of a Community Health Centre-Based Primary Care Model in Italy: The Experience of the Case della Salute in the Emilia-Romagna Region. Ann Ist Super Sanita. 2016;52(1):70–77. DOI: 10.4415/ANN_16_01_13
- Italian Ministry of Health. Ministerial Decree No. 77 of June 15, 2022. Official Gazette of the Italian Republic; 2022. Available from:
https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/eli/id/2022/06/22/22G00085/sg . - Agenas. Community Health Centres: Guidelines and Operational Framework. Rome, Italy: Agenas; 2022. Available from:
https://www.agenas.gov.it/images/agenas/In%20primo%20piano/TERRITORIO/Quaderni_di_Monitor_Documento_metaprogetto_stampa.pdf . - Sandelowski M. Whatever Happened to Qualitative Description? Res Nurs Health. 2000;23(4):334–340. DOI: 10.1002/1098-240X(200008)23:4<;334::AID-NUR9>3.0.CO;2-G
- Ramanadhan S, Davis MM, Armstrong R, Baquero B, Ko LK, Leng JC, et al. Pragmatic Approaches to Analyzing Qualitative Data for Implementation Science: An Introduction. Implement Sci Commun. 2021;2(1):
20 . DOI: 10.1186/s43058-021-00174-1 - ISTAT, Istituto Superiore di Sanità. Impatto dell’epidemia da Covid-19 sulla mortalità totale della popolazione residente. Anno 2020. 5 marzo 2021.
- Raffo E, Coppa F, Barbieri S. Quella sottile linea rossa: racconti dalla prima ondata di Covid. Piacenza: Officine Gutenberg; 2021.
- DeJonckheere M, Vaughn LM. Semi-Structured Interviewing in Primary Care Research: A Balance of Relationship and Rigour. Fam Med Community Health. 2019;7(2). DOI: 10.1136/fmch-2018-000057
- Patricio L, Sangiorgi D, Mahr D, Čaić M, Kalantari S, Sundar S. Leveraging Service Design for Healthcare Transformation: Towards People-Centered, Integrated, and Technology-Enabled Healthcare Systems. J Serv Manag. 2020;31(5):889–909. DOI: 10.1108/JOSM-11-2019-0332
- Morgan DL.
Focus Group Interviewing . In: Gubrium, JF Holstein JA, editors. Handbook of Interview Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications; 2001. p. 141–159. DOI: 10.4135/9781412973588.n10 - Saunders CH, Sierpe A, von Plessen C, Kennedy AM, Leviton LC, Bernstein SL, et al. Practical thematic analysis: a guide for multidisciplinary health services research teams engaging in qualitative analysis. BMJ. 2023;381. DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2022-074256
- Odone A, Saccani E, Chiesa V, Brambilla A, Brianti E, Fabi M, Curcetti C, Donatini A, Balestrino A, Lombardi M, Rossi G, Saccenti E, Signorelli C. The Implementation of a Community Health Centre-Based Primary Care Model in Italy: The Experience of the Case della Salute in the Emilia-Romagna Region. Ann Ist Super Sanita. 2016;52(1):70–77. DOI: 10.4415/ANN_16_01_13
- Regione Emilia-Romagna. Community Health Centres: Regional Guidelines for Construction and Organizational Function [Internet]; 2016. Available from:
https://salute.regione.emilia-romagna.it/normativa-e-documentazione/rapporti/case-della-salute/le-case-della-salute-in-emilia-romagna-il-monitoraggio-regionale . - Burrai J, Roma P, Barchielli B, Biondi S, Cordellieri P, Fraschetti A, Pizzimenti A, Mazza C, Ferracuti S, Giannini AM. Psychological and Emotional Impact of Patients Living in Psychiatric Treatment Communities During COVID-19 Lockdown in Italy. J Clin Med. 2020;9(11):
3787 . DOI: 10.3390/jcm9113787 - Stanzani S. Personalizzazione, Benessere e Personal Budget: L’eredità del Caso Inglese. Autonomie Locali e Servizi Sociali. 2014;3:183–202. DOI: 10.1447/78780
- Antonovsky A. The Salutogenic Model as a Theory to Guide Health Promotion. Health Promot Int. 1996;11(1):11–18. DOI: 10.1093/heapro/11.1.11
- Costa G, De Luca F. Il Ruolo delle Associazioni di Volontariato nelle Case della Salute e nelle Case di Comunità: Un Approfondimento Empirico. Autonomie Locali e Servizi Sociali. 2023;1:101–118. DOI: 10.1447/107352
- Wilhelm JJ, Battisto DG. Architecture and Health: Guiding Principles for Practice. New York: Routledge; 2019. DOI: 10.4324/9780429021169
- Brambilla A, Maciocco G. Dalle Case della Salute alle Case della Comunità: La Sfida del PNRR per la Sanità Territoriale. Rome: Carocci Editore; 2022. Available from:
https://www.carocci.it/prodotto/dalle-case-della-salute-alle-case-della-comunita . - Ingrosso M, Lusardi R, Moretti C.
L’integrazione dei Servizi Sociosanitari nelle Comunità Locali . In: Cardano M, Giarelli G, Vicarelli G, editors. Sociologia della Salute e della Medicina. Bologna: Il Mulino; 2020. p. 223–243. Available from:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373200411_Le_sfide_della_Sociologia_della_Salute_-_PROCEEDINGSATTI_del_Convegno_SISS_2021 . - Ingrosso M. Le Discontinuità Paradigmatiche nella Progettazione delle Case della Comunità. Sistema Salute. 2022;66(1):11–32. DOI: 10.48291/SISA.66.1.2
- Foster A, O’Cathain A, Harris J. How do third sector organisations or charities providing health and well-being services in England implement patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs)? A qualitative interview study. BMJ Open. 2020;10(10). DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-039116
- Nelson MLA, Saragosa M, Miller R. The Third Sector in Integrated Care: Partner, Provider, or Both? Int J Integr Care. 2024;24(3):
9 , 1–5. DOI: 10.5334/ijic.8149 - Saxton JF, Johns MM. Barriers to Change in Engineering the System of Health Care Delivery. Inform Knowl Syst Manag. 2009;8(1–4):437–463. DOI: 10.3233/IKS-2009-0145
- Lawer C. Design and Transform Value in Health: A Service Ecosystem Framework [Internet]. Bloxham: UMIO; 2017. Available from:
https://stsroundtable.com/wp-content/uploads/1.A.1-Design-and-Transform-Value-in-Health-Service-Ecosystem.UMIO_.pdf . - Regione Emilia-Romagna. Community Health Centres: Report on the Regional Monitoring 2016 [Internet]; 2016. Available from:
https://salute.regione.emilia-romagna.it/normativa-e-documentazione/rapporti/case-della-salute/le-case-della-salute-in-emilia-romagna-il-monitoraggio-regionale . - CVS (Centro di Servizio per il Volontariato). Volunteering Report in the Piacenza Area [Internet]; 2023. Available from:
https://www.csvemiliaromagna.it/report-volontariato-piacenza-2023.pdf . - Schall E. School-based health education: What works, what is needed, and why? Health Educ. 1994;10(Suppl 3):30–32. DOI: 10.1016/S0749-3797(18)30549-X
- Ray R. Student attitudestowardsd health and healthy lifestyles. Health Educ. 2009;109(1):4–8. DOI: 10.1108/09654280910923345
- Vareilles G, Pommier J, Marchal B, et al. Understanding the performance of community health volunteers involved in the delivery of health programmes in underserved areas: A realist synthesis. Implement Sci. 2017;12(1):
22 . DOI: 10.1186/s13012-017-0554-3 - Schroeder DA, Graziano WG.
Volunteerism and Community Involvement . In: Schroeder DA, Graziano WG, editors. The Oxford Handbook of Prosocial Behavior. New York: Oxford University Press; 2015. p. 480–503. DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195399813.013.012 - Petrecca S, Goin A, Hornstein D, et al. The ICU Bridge Program: volunteers bridging medicine and people together. Crit Care. 2022;26:
346 . DOI: 10.1186/s13054-022-04209-4 - Driessen HPA, Kranenburg LW, van der Rijt KCD, et al. Evaluation of centers for information and support combining formal and informal care for patients with cancer: a systematic review of the literature. Support Care Cancer. 2022;30:7079–7098. DOI: 10.1007/s00520-022-07047-w
- Rocco G, Marcadelli S, Stievano A, Cipolla C. Infermiere di Famiglia e di Comunità: Proposte di Policy per un Nuovo Welfare. Milano: Franco Angeli; 2017.
- Briss PA, Zaza S, Pappaioanou M, Fielding J, Wright-De Agüero L, Truman BI, et al. Developing an Evidence-Based Guide to Community Preventive Services—Methods. Am J Prev Med. 2000;18(1):35–43. DOI: 10.1016/S0749-3797(99)00119-1
- Shinn M, Toohey SM. Community contexts of human welfare. Annu Rev Psychol. 2003;54(1):427–459. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.psych.54.101601.145052
- Ingrosso M. Le Discontinuità Paradigmatiche nella Progettazione delle Case della Comunità. Sistema Salute. 2022;66(1):11–32. DOI: 10.48291/SISA.66.1.2
- Ricciuti E, Turrini A. Foundations in Italy: What roles and challenges? Am Behav Sci. 2018;62(13):1822–1832. DOI: 10.1177/0002764218773435
- Moore C, Unwin P, Evans N, Howie F. Social prescribing: Exploring general practitioners’ and healthcare professionals’ perceptions of, and engagement with, the NHS model. Health Soc Care Community. 2022;30(6). DOI: 10.1111/hsc.13935
- Linceviciute S, Ambrosio L, Baldwin DS, Portillo MC. Role of Social Prescribing Link Workers in Supporting Adults with Physical and Mental Health Long-Term Conditions: Integrative Review. Health Soc Care Community. 2023;2023(1):
7191247 . DOI: 10.1155/2023/7191247 - Guarino M, Poggiali D, Stanti K, Scelsa A, Zani C, Nicoli MA, Rodeschini G. Welfare dell’aggancio. Un’esperienza di welfare comunitario a Cervia (Dossier n. 260/2017). Agenzia sanitaria e sociale regionale Emilia Romagna; 2017. Available from:
https://assr.regione.emilia-romagna.it/pubblicazioni/dossier/doss260 . - Bulmer M. The Social Basis of Community Care. London: Routledge; 1987. DOI: 10.4324/9781315696966
- Kruahong S, Tankumpuan T, Kelly K, Davidson PM, Kuntajak P. Community Empowerment: A Concept Analysis. J Adv Nurs. 2023;79(9):2845–2859. DOI: 10.1111/jan.15613
- Lansing AE, Romero NJ, Siantz E, Silva V, Center K, Casteel D, Gilmer T. Building Trust: Leadership Reflections on Community Empowerment and Engagement in a Large Urban Initiative. BMC Public Health. 2023;23:
1252 . DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15860-z - Kastner M, Sayal R, Oliver D, Straus SE, Dolovich L. Sustainability and Scalability of a Volunteer-Based Primary Care Intervention (Health TAPESTRY): A Mixed-Methods Analysis. BMC Health Serv Res. 2017;17:
514 . DOI: 10.1186/s12913-017-2468-9 - Gifford R, Fleuren B, van de Baan F, Ruwaard D, Poesen L, Zijlstra F, Westra D. To Uncertainty and Beyond: Identifying the Capabilities Needed by Hospitals to Function in Dynamic Environments. Med Care Res Rev. 2022;79(4):549–561. DOI: 10.1177/10775587211057416
- de Villiers C, Farooq MB, Molinari M. Qualitative Research Interviews Using Online Video Technology: Challenges and Opportunities. Meditari Account Res. 2022;30(6):1764–1782. DOI: 10.1108/MEDAR-03-2021-1252
- Italian Ministry of Health.
Ministerial Decree No. 77 of June 15, 2022 . Official Gazette of the Italian Republic. Available from:https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/eli/id/2022/06/22/22G00085/sg .
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/ijic.7881 | Journal eISSN: 1568-4156
Language: English
Submitted on: Nov 17, 2023
Accepted on: Jun 24, 2025
Published on: Jul 2, 2025
Published by: Ubiquity Press
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 4 issues per year
© 2025 Federico De Luca, Giuliana Costa, Cristina Masella, published by Ubiquity Press
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.