The path to implementing value-based care in the U.S. healthcare system has been fraught with challenges and peril. There’s quite a bit of momentum when it comes to maintaining the current model, as well as the financial incentives already in place. As COVID drags on, hospital systems are facing staffing shortages, physician burnout and a slew of financial setbacks. 

It’s no surprise that switching to a VBC model has often taken a backseat as a priority, as providers around the country focus on putting out the immediate fires and making sure they can stay afloat. But as always, there is potential to grow and change. Health IT vendors are developing solutions that can assist providers with data collection and management, patient monitoring, and more, with the goal of enabling a shift away from the volume model. 

Aiming to eliminate “alert fatigue” and aid in physicians being able to care for more patients at once, without spending a disproportionate amount of time fiddling with an EHR or platform, organizations like Lightbeam Health Solutions are setting the stage for a transition to value-based care. 

We sat down with Lightbeam Health’s President, Jerry Shultz, at HIMSS ’21 to discuss this issue, how providers can both save money and better serve their patients, the future of value-based care, and more.