4 MIN READ
Did you know that receiving better-quality care can lead to lower longterm healthcare costs?
In the past, many healthcare providers focused on the quantity of care they could provide. Today, healthcare systems are shifting their focus to quality. That means doctors and other providers look for how well each patient’s health challenges are solved through cost-effective and lasting solutions.
The focus on value-based care:
1. Better outcomes
The goal of providing higher quality care is to improve efficacy, efficiency, safety and satisfaction. This could mean faster and stronger recoveries from an illness or injury, or fewer readmissions to a hospital. It might also result in better chronic condition management and an improvement in quality of life.
2. Lower costs
But how do lower costs work exactly? Going to a hospital, seeing a specialist and trying new (but not yet proven) treatment methods are just a few ways that drive costs up for both patients and their health plans. Value-based care aims to provide more evidence-based, teamwork oriented, individualized and proactive care.
Value-based care aims to make healthcare proactive instead of reactive—preventing problems before they start. When providers focus on improving wellness, they might urge patients to quit smoking, exercise more or improve dietary habits. They might offer more comprehensive primary care checkups or preventive screenings to help detect needed care earlier. These efforts may reduce the need for expensive tests, procedures and medications. This can result in lower costs for everyone.
Before you schedule your next doctor visit, use our Find Care tool to check out patient reviews and doctors’ practice values that include cost-effective, value-based care.
