News: Healthcare experts unable to define “value-based care,” “population health”

Humana convened a group of healthcare experts to build a consensus on the definitions of concepts such as “value-based care” and “population health.” The experts, however, were unable to, according to FierceHealthcare.

Although the participants found common ground on what “value-based payment” is, they couldn’t agree when it came to “value-based care” or “population health.”

The 18 panelists included representatives from Humana, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Geisinger Health System, the University of Pennsylvania, and Centene Corporation. They agreed that value-based care would apply to both individuals and populations and would be determined by outcome and cost. The panelists, however, were divided about whether patient experiences should be highlighted or whether there should be a duration factor in calculating value, FierceHealthcare reported.

When it came to population health, the panelists agreed that the term refers to the health of groups rather than individuals, but they were split on whether, and how, to best incorporate the social determinants of health and how to group people for population health initiatives.

This lack of consensus can hinder progress, Meredith Williams, MD, market president for Humana based in Louisville, Kentucky, told FierceHealthcare.  

“We found as we were working with different partners, we were using the same words but we’re just not sure they were interpreted the same way,” she said.

The solution, according to Williams, is to start by acknowledging the different definitions and openly discuss them. This will help healthcare providers and payers to see eye-to-eye and ultimately reduce costs and improve patient outcomes.

Editor’s note: To read FierceHeatlhcare’s extended coverage of this story, click here. To learn more about CDI’s role with population health and value-based care, click here.