Sustainable Cancer Care in India: VBHC
Written by Shaveta Arora
Explore Value-Based Healthcare (VBHC) models for cancer care, aligning costs with patient outcomes, enhancing quality of life, and reducing the burden of cancer care costs in developing countries like India.
Global cancer care costs, particularly in developing countries like India, demand Value-Based Healthcare (VBHC) models.
Unlike fee-for-service models that prioritize volume over quality, VBHC techniques concentrate on providing long-term, holistic care to patients.
They strive to enhance treatment outcomes while minimizing costs—an increasingly crucial approach for tackling the mounting burden of cancer care.
VBHC in Cancer Care
The VBHC approach aims to improve healthcare delivery by aligning costs with patient outcomes. It focuses on achieving optimal health results at lower costs, improving patient satisfaction, survival rates, and overall quality of life. VBHC includes primary treatment, preventive care, rehabilitation, and end-of-life care, creating an integrated, comprehensive care pathway for cancer patients.
Techniques like bundled payments, outcome-based contracts, and shared savings programs are the hallmarks of VBHC in cancer care.
These methods incentivize healthcare providers to invest in preventive and early detection strategies, innovative treatments, and meticulous follow-up care, resulting in improved health outcomes and a reduced overall cost of care.
VBHC in India: Paving the Way for Inclusive Cancer Care
India faces challenges in managing cancer care due to its large population and socioeconomic disparities. Marginalized communities often travel long distances to access care, leading to advanced cancer diagnoses and costly treatments. In India, cancer treatment costs can range from Rs 90,000 to Rs 28,00,000.
India must implement a Value-Based Healthcare (VBHC) model to provide affordable, efficient care, meet patients' needs, and reduce economic strain on families and society. This model involves cancer hospitals forming networks with primary care clinics and health centers, creating a seamless care continuum. This integration ensures early diagnosis and prompt treatment, improving survival rates and reducing the long-term costs associated with advanced-stage care.
Moreover, adopting digital health technologies can provide significant support to VBHC initiatives in cancer care. Telemedicine, artificial intelligence, and data analytics play pivotal roles in early detection, personalized treatment planning, and continuous monitoring of patient health status. These technologies reduce the need for patients to travel frequently, leading to lower overall healthcare costs.
VBHC According to A Business Standpoint
VBHC model in cancer care offers significant benefits through collaboration between primary and secondary care providers, resulting in comprehensive patient care, better outcomes, and reduced costs. This approach fosters innovative business models and win-win situations for stakeholders. Implementing value-based healthcare in cancer care is crucial for managing costs, especially in countries with healthcare disparities. VBHC improves cancer patients' quality of life, lowers care costs, and promotes sustainable healthcare business models.