ValueCare Book
The ValueCare experience:
Creating value for older people with chronic conditions in Europe with a transition towards outcome-based integrated care supported by technology
Oscar Zanutto, Sara Ceron, Hein Raat (editors)
Introduction
This book presents a deep insight into the ValueCare project, an EU-funded study into value-based integrated care facilitated by ICT. The Value-Care project involved 17 partners from 8 countries, with large scale pilots held at 7 sites.
This ambitious project took the principles of value-based healthcare (VBHC) as introduced by Michael Porter and developed by the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM) and sought to understand how they could be integrated into existing systems in European settings.
Backed by an innovative ICT platform, patients were enabled to be active participants in their care, with outcomes driven by their values and goals, while care providers were able to better coordinate care.
Through real-world examples and lessons from the project, this book presents healthcare managers, practitioners and other professionals with practical insights and strategies to implement value-based healthcare.
The project was a major leap from theory into practice, and the authors are excited to contribute to this paradigm shift in the delivery and experience of care in Europe and beyond.
Table of Contents
Preface - Mona Khalid, Chair of the ValueCare Advisory Board
Chapter 1 - The ValueCare project: An Introduction - Demi Cheng, Amy van Grieken, Leticia Pérez, Mireia Ferri, Maite Ferrando, Alejandro Gil Salmerón, and Hein Raat
Chapter 2 - The European Way for VBHC Transformation of Health and Social Care Services - Oscar Zanutto, Sara Ceron, Stefania Macchione, Natalia Allegretti, and Hein Raat
Chapter 3 - The adapted outcome measurement sets for the measurement and evaluation of the ValueCare project - Demi Cheng, Amy van Grieken, Vanja Vasiljev, Denis Juraga, and Hein Raat
Chapter 4 - Shared Decision-making - Chiara Da Ronch, Elena Procaccini, Bruna Franceschini, Maria Inês Santos, Ethan McGrath, Leticia Pérez, Mirian Fernández-Salido, Vanja Vasiljev, Anastasios Rentoumis, and Athina Markaki
Chapter 5 - Health Continuum: Integrated Care Perspectives - Ethan McGrath, Vanja Vasiljev, and Alejandro Gil Salmerón
Chapter 6 - Requirements and Architecture of the ValueCare Digital Solution - Athanasios Koumparos, Oscar Mayora, Anastasios Rentoumis, and Alexis Fourlis
Chapter 7 - From Vision to Reality: Leadership and Care Teams' Engagement in VBHC Transition - Vanja Vasiljev, Tomislav Rukavina, Mihaela Marinović Glavić, Denis Juraga, Chiara Da Ronch, Elena Procaccini, Bruna Franceschini, Maria Inês Santos, Anastasios Rentoumis, Georgia Argyrakopoulou, Ethan McGrath, Delmir Giner Ibáñez, Mirian Fernández Salido, Leticia Pérez, and Oscar Mayora
Chapter 8 - The Theoretical Economic Framework for the Value Metric - Natalia Allegretti, Hein Raat, and Oscar Zanutto
Chapter 9 - Policy Insights, Sustainability and Future Research Guidelines for VBHC in Europe -Sofia Santos Nunes, Marine Luc, Tamara Alhambra-Borrás, Jorge Garcés-Ferrer, Natalia Allegretti, Denis Juraga, Amy van Grieken, and Hein Raat
Conclusion - Oscar Zanutto and Hein Raat
Goals of the ValueCare project
The ValueCare project radically rethinks how healthcare is delivered, placing a strong emphasis on creating a patient-centred environment by understanding their requirements, preferences, and outcomes.
Care plans tailored to each patient were developed using evaluations of their lifestyle, preferences, and state of health, ensuring that interventions are in line with the patient's values and goals.
Care coordination has been transformed with healthcare professionals cooperating and exchanging data and insights to maximise patients' experiences inside the healthcare system.
The ValueCare project emphasises the ongoing measurement of results, allowing teams to adjust and improve their tactics with the help of real-time feedback loops.
The project views preventive care as a pillar and extends beyond addressing urgent illnesses.
A core component of the project is shared decision-making. Patients actively participate in the through a shared decision-making process, and healthcare professionals communicate openly with them regarding available treatments, associated risks, and advantages. Patients should feel more empowered by this cooperative approach, which raises their level of satisfaction with their care.
ValueCare uses digital technologies to make patient health information easily accessible. From making appointments to viewing test results, patients can follow the path of their care. This openness fosters a sense of ownership and control over one's health, in addition to improving patient happiness.
The ValueCare digital solution
The three main components of the ValueCare digital solution are:
- A web dashboard (platform) for participant registration and personalised care planning, which enables professional care team members and authorised (informal) caregivers to monitor the progress of the participant.
- A mobile app that helps participants track their health goals in several health areas. The app also provided access to educational Some pilots had extra features included in the app to provide additional value for their specific target group.
- A virtual coach (chatbot) integrated into the mobile app that participants can use to chat with. The chatbot helps the participants with their health goals by providing motivational feedback and reminders. Participants could allow notifications to receive timely alerts and updates.
The ValueCare pilot sites
The ValueCare pilot was carried out in seven pilot sites around Europe. The project had a pre-post-controlled study design with an intervention and control group and three measurement time points (baseline, post-intervention after 6-12 months, and follow-up after 10-18 months) (Bally et al., 2022).
Each pilot site had to include a certain number of participants: 120 older people in the intervention group and 120 older people in the control group, 50–70 informal caregivers (e.g. relatives, friends), 30–40 health and social care practitioners and 5-10 care coordinators, managers or IT experts.
