Be patient-focused and save money
Adopting value-based healthcare brings numerous advantages including the ability for private practitioners to improve the financial sustainability of their practices as they optimise resource utilisation and avoid unnecessary procedures and treatments. Pamela Poku reports.
Value-based healthcare (VBHC) has gained traction across health systems globally since it was first introduced by Michael Porter and Elizabeth Olmstead Teisberg in 2006.
It focuses on achieving the best possible health outcomes for patients while optimising the use of resources.
This approach demonstrates a shift from the more traditional fee-for-service and general taxation models, which focus more on the quantity of services provided than the quality of care.
The model in particular aims to empower patients on their healthcare journey by taking into account their values and well-being preferences.
In England, around one million people are listed on more than one waiting list to receive treatment. To help manage this backlog, the NHS has made agreements with the private sector to help deliver patient care.
Additionally, recent research has shown that one-in-eight people have chosen private health services in the last year due to frustrations over procedure delays. This presents an opportunity to incorporate the principles of VHBC, which emphasise quality, efficiency and patient-centred care in a timely manner.
Elsevier Health’s Clinician of the Future 2023 Report revealed that doctors and nurses already hold a positive view of VBHC, with most expecting it to reduce the burden on secondary care and improve the patient experience while saving costs.
In light of this context, an even greater emphasis has been placed on the potential role that value-based healthcare could play and the importance of the private sector in delivering the best possible outcomes for patients.
Prioritising patient outcomes
The private sector’s top priority has always been to improve patient outcomes and, with practitioners actively supporting the NHS with health services, delivering high-quality care is even more important.
With the NHS under intense pressure from rising waiting lists for treatment and persistent workforce shortages, the private sector plays a crucial role in providing patient care.
An example of a private healthcare provider that has implemented some of the VBHC in practice is Spire Healthcare. In 2021, this UK provider launched The Quality Improvement Strategy to enhance its quality improvement culture.
To date, it has managed more than 120 projects, where it not only improved patient outcomes and experiences, but also improved efficiencies and reduced waste.
The implementation of VBHC has several potential benefits for private practices and their patients:
Enhancing patient-centred care: This delivery model emphasises the provision of patient-centred care, focusing on the overall well-being of patients rather than solely treating their diseases.
Through this approach, the private sector can improve patient satisfaction and engagement, which can ultimately lead to better health outcomes and financial stability. Further to this, such providers can better support the NHS, reducing the current burden of the rising waiting lists.
Facilitating easier standardisation of care: VBHC involves tailoring services to meet the needs of the target patient population.
The private sector often has more autonomy on budget allocation, which enables a more patient-centric approach and facilitates the standardisation of care practices to align with the defined patient needs, contributing to the value-based model.
Creating sustainable health systems: With the adoption of VBHC, private practitioners can improve the financial sustainability of their practices, as they optimise resource utilisation and avoid unnecessary procedures and treatments.
For private healthcare providers to benefit from this delivery model, practitioners need data to make informed decisions about treatment plans and patient care.
However, as the private sector supports the NHS in some health services, there remains a gap in the quality of data available in patient health records.
To bridge this gap, NHS Digital and the Private Healthcare Inform- ation Network (PHIN), formed the Acute Data Alignment Programme (ADAPt) in 2021, to create a single repository of healthcare information.
This programme combines data from the NHS and private healthcare to help facilitate better insights and lead to improvements in care and treatment for all patients across both sectors.
Given these benefits and the availability of the ADAPt, it can be seen as a natural shift for the private sector to show interest in adopting value-based healthcare principles, as this would align with their top priority in delivering high-quality care.
Implementation barriers
Although health systems can benefit from VBHC, there are still several barriers associated with implementing this approach:
Lack of interest in promoting a value-based healthcare culture: At the board level, there tends to be a reluctance to change and the language around value is not socialised as ‘normal’.
Limited data-driven insights: Fragmented data prevents the generation of meaningful insights and analyses that can guide evidence-based decision-making.
Lack of measurement: If effective clinical data collection is not in place, reporting patient information and accurate co-ordination of care become a challenge.
Limited transparency: A lack of transparency in the decision-making process can result in a major structural barrier that limits adoption.
Pamela Poku (right) is a registered nurse, healthcare value specialist and member of the Clinical Best Practice Council at Elsevier
