Identification of Priorities for an Integrated Socio‐Health Strategy: A Multi‐Stakeholder Consensus Study in the Valencian Community

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Background Despite separate systems in many countries, achieving integrated care has become imperative for equity, efficiency, and social justice. This study aims to develop joint healthcare and social care strategies, involving various stakeholders, to prioritize integrated care delivery. Methods A sequential mixed‐method consensus study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, nominal group sessions were used to generate as many relevant ideas as possible. In the second phase, these ideas were prioritized through a Delphi process to inform the Valencian Community’s socio‐health strategy. We used a multidimensional framework of integrated care (governance, organizational/professional, informational, and experiential dimensions) to guide thematic analysis and interpretation. Results A total of 73 healthcare and social welfare professionals from regional and municipal administrations and 22 representatives from citizen and patient associations participated in the nominal group sessions. In these sessions, a total of 370 proposals were recorded. Two researchers independently reviewed the proposals, merged duplicates and overlapping items, and resolved discrepancies with a third researcher to retain 264 distinct ideas. After Delphi prioritization, 20 proposals were retained by consensus. Conclusion The priorities on which all stakeholder groups agreed (integrated information system, simplification of bureaucratic procedures, or ensuring that individuals requiring socio‐healthcare have a reference professional) denote the need to advance in the integration of systems, indicating that the current provision follows differentiated paths, ultimately consistent with persistent fragmentation, duplication, and coordination barriers.