The debate on the importance of an outcome-based approach is of high-relevance among health and social care stakeholders to enable the shift towards a patient-centred health and social care.
Value-based health and social care is a concept supported by the nursing profession, as end-user and co-designer. In particular, nurses’ role is key to respond to patients and citizens’ unmet needs within a people-centred approach, based on the tailored continuity of care pathways, that need to be modified based on the data collected.
In this context, the EFN pushes for the creation of value for patients and citizens as the main objective of all actors co-designing well-functioning clinical pathways. In particular, it becomes crucial to go beyond the market and growth discussion, focusing on improving outcomes for patients and citizens not just in the health sector, but combining health and social care, which are two interlinked sectors.
Therefore, to give deployment a real chance, founded on evidence-based research, and prevention having a key role in the ecosystem, it is central to move away from a medical disease-approach (DRGs) and move towards a system based on needs, safety and quality, including quality of life. This implies having a stronger focus on outcomes and more robust outcome measurements, including the patient experience and continuity of care data.
In particular, the measurement of outcomes needs to be designed with and for patients, bringing in the notion of the quality of life. Health and social outcomes measurements should go beyond just medical data and include continuity of care, accessibility and prevention indicators relevant for patients and citizens, crucial for improving their quality of life and their loved ones, often providing informal care. Through a regular sustained direct contact with the patient, appropriate support and coaching, nurses can make a significant contribution to measuring outcomes in a systematic way, supported by technology and being part of a culture in value-based ecosystems that empower patients, citizens and people. In particular, technology needs to reduce the enormous workload on frontline nurses to collect data, and enable them, with the other social and healthcare professionals and industry in clinical trials, to support patients in collecting relevant outcome data.