Leveraging Consumer Health IT to Incentivize Engagement and Shared Accountability in Value-Based Purchasing

Abstract

Health care payers (self-insured employers, insurance companies, state Medicaid agencies, etc.) are increasingly playing a role as thoughtful purchasers of health care. In these new value-based purchasing (VBP) initiatives, the focus is on paying for value rather than volume of services, an endeavor necessitating robust health information technology (IT). Successful efforts to implement VBP methodologies, from pay for performance to global budgets, entail a coevolution of technology; practice change designed to achieve benchmarks; and ongoing improvement against strategic quality measures. Ideally, this integrated approach to health system redesign will align technology, workflow, and quality with the goal of improving health outcomes. A key goal of VBP is for payers and purchasers to balance provider incentives and accountability in a way that supports patient-centered care and consumer engagement. Involving consumers (e.g., beneficiaries, patients, and caregivers) in the design and implementation of health IT is one important tactic to ensure the tools and programs that are developed are responsive to consumer’s needs. Promising future directions include efforts to incorporate social determinants of health into care and VBP, and developing a broader perspective on whole-person care. Both are only possible with robust consumer-facing health IT. The ultimate goal for policy and practice is to engage consumers and patients the design and implementation of health IT systems and VBP programs that promote health and well-being.