Dental Health Services Top Value-based Healthcare Awards
Dental Health Services of Victoria, in conjunction with Dental Health Services of Australia received the top award at the recent Value-Based Healthcare Awards 2022 held in the Netherlands on 11 May. The award was given, in the face of stiff global competition, for ‘improving oral service delivery and outcomes using the principles of value-based healthcare.’ The prize seeks to recognise those projects that have adopted a fundamentally new line of thinking in creating value for patients in terms of real outcomes, real cost, real connections, one common language and are doctor-led initiatives.
Key to Dental Health Services of Victoria’s philosophy has been the partnering with patients and staff resulting in better health outcomes, measurement of the health outcomes that are important to patients and, to transform service delivery to increase value for customers.
Compared to the standard dental care, the value-based healthcare model showed 44% lower failure to attend rate and 36% higher preventive service utilisation. A higher proportion of clinicians worked to their top scope of practice within a multi-disciplinary team. Approximately 80% of services previously provided by dentists were shifted to oral health therapists and dental assistants, thereby releasing the capacity of dentists to undertake complex treatments.
As stated by Dental Health Services of Victoria’s CEO, Sue McKee, “The award acknowledges the innovative nature of our integrated care approach and its capacity to reduce the overwhelming burden of oral disease, particularly for vulnerable groups and those experiencing disadvantage in the community. Our patient centred care is co-designed with consumers to ensure we deliver the best possible healthcare and patient experience.”
Five additional prizes were also awarded. The Primary Care Award went to the Vanderbilt University Medical Centre; the Collaboration Award went to the King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre; The Patient Outcomes Award to the Duke University Hospital System; the Inspiration Award went to patients Know Best; and the Cost-effectiveness Award went to Netherlands cancer Institute.