Mapping the extent, range and nature of research activity on VBHC in the 15 years following its introduction (2006-2021): a scoping review
A review paper which aims to systematically map the extent, range and nature of research activity on value-based healthcare (VBHC), and to identify research gaps.
A literature search found almost 28,000 articles referring to VBHC. Of these, 1,242 were considered appropriate to analyse, following the eligibility criteria.
The articles were analysed regarding the six items of the VBHC strategic agenda (first published in 2013). These are:
- Organise into integrated practice units (IPUs) around the patient’s medical condition
- Measure outcomes and costs for every patient
- Move to bundled payments for care cycles
- Integrate care delivery across separate facilities
- Expand excellent services across geography
- Build an enabling information technology platform
The results of the literature analysis showed that papers:
- Were mostly published in North America
- Were mainly conceptual, rather than describing implementation and real-life examples
- Mostly described the application of VBHC in terms of measuring outcomes and costs (agenda item 2)
- Other items on the VBHC strategic agenda were far less frequently described
The number of publications increased steadily after the introduction of VBHC in 2006.
Ultimately, almost one-fifth of the articles could not be categorised in one of the items of the strategic agenda, which may lead to the conclusion that the current strategic agenda could be extended. In addition, a practical roadmap or guideline to implement VBHC is still lacking. Future research could fill this gap by specifically studying the effectiveness of VBHC in day-to-day clinical practice.
Read the full report here
