Patients can help shape the care they receive based on their needs and perspectives. We listen to our patient’s feedback not only to determine whether the treatment is right for the patients’ circumstances, but also to help identify and share best practices, and to learn and innovate. Our doctors present possibilities for treatment and decide together with the patient on the preferred option.

Taking a patient’s wishes into consideration is important for patients and improving care. “Every doctor is convinced that he provides the best care,” says Dr. Jan-Jaap Hendrickx. “But with information from the patient, you gain insight into the quality of life and the needs and wishes of the patient. Processing that information takes a little extra effort, but you find out what is really important for the patient at that moment. Research has even shown that just requesting this feedback can result in improved outcome.” 

Cancer patients have to deal with many healthcare providers. Value teams have now been set up for seven focus areas within oncology. The assignment is: see how you can optimize the value of patient care with relatively little effort.
 Eefje van Kessel, program manager and advisor.

This approach is part of the 'Value-Based Health Care' concept adopted by Amsterdam UMC in 2017. The fundamental goal is to increase the value of healthcare for the patient, rather than assigning value to the amount of healthcare services delivered. This is done by focusing on improving our patients’ health, reducing the effects and incidence of cancer, and increasing the quality of life in an evidence-based way.

In a position paper, the Federation of University Medical Centers in the Netherlands proposed three important pillars of Value-Based Health Care:

  • Tailored care provisions for each patient
    Ever patient is unique. Healthcare professionals, patients and their loved ones are involved in decision making to determine a suitable personalized path of care.
  • Collaborations among healthcare professionals
    Healthcare professionals involved in the care for a patient collaborate via (regional) inter-disciplinary networks to provide the best care experience while reducing treatment costs.
  • Learn together to improve care
    To stimulate a continuous improvement of patient care, treatment outcomes reported by healthcare professionals and involved patients are analyzed to determine whether improvements are needed. This evaluation is performed within a scientific framework and also takes societal aspects like treatment accessibility and costs into account.

Cancer Center Amsterdam has recently initiated a number of changes aimed at improving the value of healthcare for the patient. For example, the formation of interdisciplinary teams of experts to care for individuals with similar needs promotes effective and appropriate care while reducing costs. Eefje van Kessel: “The program has contributed to even closer cooperation between the various healthcare providers, which means that we have a clear focus and joint goal, both in patient care and research. This ensures growth and development of the team and better care for patients.”

[credits] Parts of this article were derived from ‘Continue verbetering van zorg’ door Joke van Diemen-Markx.