Advancing patient-centred innovation: data-driven approaches to value-based health care

Abstract

Value-Based Health Care (VBHC) is a philosophy that aims to optimise healthcare by maximising patient value, defined as health outcomes that matter most to patients in relation to the costs of delivering those outcomes, while ensuring cost-effectiveness. This paper explores the role of data-driven approaches and multidisciplinary collaboration in enhancing the implementation and sustainability of VBHC in routine clinical practise. Drawing on over a decade of experience at a leading heart centre in the Netherlands, we describe how real-world data, multidimensional analytics, and integration of patient-relevant cost drivers (PRCDs) are leveraged to continuously monitor and improve patient value. A dedicated multidisciplinary Quality Committee (QC) plays a central role in this effort by integrating structured outcome monitoring and continuous improvement cycles. Crucially, the QC not only focuses on internal performance, but also shares results with referring hospitals, fostering regional collaboration and supporting value-based improvements across the entire care pathway. Building on these experiences, we identify several future directions to further advance VBHC and patient value monitoring. These include the integration of complex datasets–such as wearable, imaging, and physiological data–and the application of advanced analytical methods, including machine learning and digital twins, to generate deeper clinical insights. Furthermore, we highlight the potential of registry-based randomised controlled trials to strengthen the bridge between real-world care and evidence-based evaluation. Together, these strategies aim to support the evolution towards a data-driven learning healthcare system that enables personalised care, and contributes to a more effective, equitable, and patient-centred model of care.