Let’s step away from healthcare as usual and take a look at Value Based Care. What does that mean? It is a set of healthcare practices that focuses on quality of care for the patient. This includes focusing on efficiency and effectiveness of treatments that lessen hospital admissions and recovery time. The focus remains on quality outcomes for patients and not on quantity of patients treated.
Traditionally the healthcare system has worked on a fee-for-service model. Providers are paid for the volume of patients they see and the cost of procedures that are done. While this ensures a lot of patients are seen and have access to a wide range of providers, it can also start a system where health procedures are done unnecessarily. In this model, success and profit is based on quantity.
In the Value Based Care model, better patient outcomes are recorded as data to help find best practices. Best practices begin with wellness, serious illness prevention, and a trusting relationship with your doctor. Wellness has a large impact on preventing major health events that build up costs for the patient and employer. Another aspect of Value Based Care is the coordination of medicine between different providers. Collaboration between physicians offers the patient quality options and physicians can treat patients efficiently by getting rid of repetitive tests or unnecessary treatments.
Value Based Care is a newly implemented system. Doctors, hospitals, and the government are all investing in ways to make the healthcare system better, but that takes time and some experimentation. Already Value Based Care is trending and for a deeper dive check out the latest by clicking here.