Dental Health Services Victoria value-based health care principles for oral health models of care

Background

Efforts to progress oral healthcare reform can be challenging with competing interests of governments and service providers to achieve the intended outcomes. The value-based health care approach has been adopted in many areas of healthcare but has had limited applications to oral healthcare systems. Dental Health Services Victoria, an Australian state government funded entity, commenced its journey to value-based health care in 2016, to shift away from traditional dental service models that reward activity and volume towards a stronger emphasis on value and outcomes.

Aims

To maintain the value-based health care agenda focus, Dental Health Services Victoria developed three key principles, which can be adopted by other organisations engaged in reforming oral healthcare, to improve the oral health for the population it serves.

Materials & Methods

In 2018, Dental Health Services Victoria developed a value-based health care framework, which has informed strategic organisation priorities for action. In 2023, the following three key principles are identified as being essential to support the operationalisation and development of effective models of oral healthcare: Principle 1 – Care is co-designed with the person or population Principle 2 – Prevention and early intervention are prioritised. Principle 3 – Consistent measurement of health outcomes and costs are embedded.

Discussion

The exploration of the three key principles is an important communication tool to translate value-based health care into practice with key stakeholders. Further work is required to socialise them to within dental teams.

Conclusion

Organisations looking to commence the value-based health care agenda can apply Dental Health Services Victoria's three key principles as a first step.