Value-based care is a term that HR leaders may not have heard, but it signals a paradigm shift in the way that healthcare services are delivered and consumed. In value-based care, providers manage a patient’s overall health, while considering the individual’s personal wellness goals. Dentists on Demand already offers a convenient and innovative solution that brings dental care directly to your employees at the workplace. However, value-based care is an inherent aspect of our model that should be emphasized. This means we focus not just on providing services but on achieving the best possible oral health outcomes for your employees, while reducing overall healthcare costs for your company. For HR and finance leaders, value-based care can revolutionize the health and well-being of your people and your overall organization.
What Is Value-Based Care?
As the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services explains, value-based care (VBC) is “designed to focus on quality of care, provider performance and the patient experience.”
The Journal of the American Dental Association digs a bit further into the idea of value in relation to care: “In health care, value-based care (VBC) determines the worth of health care services on the basis of their benefits (that is, health outcomes) relative to their associated costs, encouraging the provision of high-value services.”
High-value care involves preventative treatments that mitigate the risk of more extensive dental work such as restorative or emergency care, saving patients money and pain. Value-based care strives to achieve predictable, long-term oral health outcomes rather than quick fixes or unnecessary procedures.
For example, let’s say a patient presents with a small cavity. A high-value approach would involve filling the cavity to prevent it from worsening. A low-value approach might involve recommending a crown or other complicated treatment that is not clinically necessary.
High Value Dental Care Examples
High-value dental care focuses on preventive measures and early intervention to avoid costly and complex procedures down the line.
- Regular check-ups and cleanings: These practices help prevent cavities, gum disease, and other oral health issues.
- Oral cancer screenings: Early detection can significantly improve treatment outcomes.
- Fluoride treatments: Strengthening tooth enamel helps prevent cavities.
- Dental sealants: Protecting the chewing surfaces of teeth reduces the risk of cavities.
- Education on oral hygiene: Empowering patients with knowledge helps them maintain good oral health.
Low Value Dental Care Examples
Low-value dental care often involves unnecessary or over-treated procedures that don’t provide significant benefits to the patient.
- Unnecessary dental x-rays: Overexposure to radiation can be harmful.
- Aggressive treatment plans: Recommending extensive dental work without clear clinical justification.
- Overuse of dental restorations: Replacing fillings or crowns prematurely can lead to unnecessary costs.
- Unjustified antibiotic prescriptions: Overuse of antibiotics can contribute to antibiotic resistance.
For corporate clients, this model not only offers a pathway to better health outcomes for employees but also aligns with the broader goals of cost efficiency and employee satisfaction. With the economic pressures to outperform competition, today’s organizations need a workforce capable of fueling ongoing innovation. However, HR leaders also know that job stress is a growing problem within the rank-and-file, which impacts oral health and productivity. Employee health and well-being are paramount – a healthy workforce translates to increased productivity, lower absenteeism, and a more positive company culture. And value-based care plays a pivotal role.
Value-Based Care: Preventative and Convenient Onsite Dental Care
Value-based care prioritizes patient health outcomes over the volume of services provided. The focus shifts from quantity to quality, with the goal of delivering more effective, efficient, and patient-centered care. There are three key components to value-based care in oral health.
- Patient-Centered Care: The patient’s overall well-being is the primary focus, with an emphasis on preventive care, early intervention, and holistic management of chronic conditions.
- Cost Efficiency: By prioritizing preventive care and managing conditions before they escalate, value-based care reduces unnecessary procedures and hospitalizations, ultimately lowering healthcare costs.
- Improved Outcomes: Providers are incentivized to achieve better health outcomes, which means they are rewarded for keeping patients healthy rather than treating them only when they are experiencing problems or pain.
The Benefits of Preventative Dental Care to Corporate Clients
- Reduced Healthcare Costs: One of the primary benefits of value-based care is cost savings. By focusing on preventive care and early intervention, companies can reduce the incidence of serious health issues that require costly treatments. For example, regular dental check-ups and cleanings can prevent more severe dental issues that might require expensive procedures like root canals or extractions.
- Enhanced Employee Productivity: Healthy employees are more productive and take fewer sick days. By providing onsite dental care, companies can help employees maintain good oral health, which is closely linked to whole-body health. This means fewer days off work because of dental issues and other related health problems.
- Improved Employee Satisfaction and Retention: Offering onsite dental services as part of a comprehensive employee wellness program can enhance job satisfaction and loyalty. Employees appreciate convenient access to dental services, and a focus on their well-being can foster a positive work environment. This drives higher retention rates and cultivates a more engaged workforce.
- Compliance and Convenience: Onsite dental care facilitates easier access to dental check-ups for employees, which translates to increased compliance with recommended preventive care schedules. This expediency also reduces the barriers to accessing care, such as scheduling conflicts or transportation issues.
- Supporting Overall Wellness Programs: Integrating dental care into a broader wellness program supports the overall health of employees. Issues like gum disease have proven links to systemic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. By addressing dental health, companies contribute to their employees’ overall wellness.
The Role of Portable Onsite Dentistry in Preventative Care
Dentists on Demand helped pioneer the practice of portable onsite dentistry. This innovative approach is perfectly aligned with the principles of value-based care.
- Accessibility and Convenience: Our portable setup allows us to provide high-quality dental care at the workplace, eliminating the need for employees to take time off for appointments. This accessibility encourages higher utilization rates and ensures that more employees receive the preventive care they need.
- Preventive Focus: Our services include comprehensive exams, cleanings, x-rays, and oral health education. By focusing on prevention, we detect potential issues early – at the time when they are easier and less costly to treat. This aligns with the value-based care emphasis on maintaining health rather than merely treating illness.
- Data-Driven Care: We use the latest technology to track and monitor patient outcomes, helping us tailor our services to meet the specific needs of each corporate client. This data-driven approach allows us to continually improve our care delivery and achieve better health outcomes for employees.
- Risk Stratification: We identify employees who may be at higher risk for developing dental problems based on factors like age, health conditions, and lifestyle habits. These individuals receive additional attention and treatment plans tailored to preventative measures.
- Integration with Wellness Programs: Our services can be integrated with existing corporate wellness programs, providing a holistic approach to employee health. This integration can include coordination with other healthcare providers and wellness initiatives, ensuring a comprehensive approach to employee well-being. If you’re hosting an upcoming wellness fair, including Dentists on Demand contributes to a broader value-based care initiative in tandem with other providers in attendance.
- Ongoing Communication: Our dentists encourage open communication with employees to address any concerns they may have and offer continuing guidance on the most effective ways to sustain exceptional oral health.
Value-Based Care: The Best Value for Employee and Organizational Health
By emphasizing preventative dental care, Dentists on Demand helps catch issues before they erupt into costly, painful, and disruptive problems. Value-based care may be a burgeoning concept across the healthcare spectrum, but it’s an innate facet of our existing services. It’s also a simple, hassle-free way to optimize dental benefits that may be underutilized by your employees today. All you have to do is schedule a pop-up and find an available conference room or unoccupied space for us to use.
- We handle the setup and breakdown of our mobile dental suite and all equipment. We utilize the latest technologies in teledentistry, digital imaging, the highest-end portable equipment, and sterilization processes that are rated at hospital grade.
- We create a branded microsite to market the service to cast members and inform them of everything they need to know in advance.
- We provide access to CUSPID, our proprietary dental technology platform, which enables employees to manage everything from booking appointments to accessing their own patient records and more.
- With all Dental PPO plans, our preventative services are covered at 100%, promoting the utilization of a benefit that is completely subsidized yet under-utilized.
- Our rates reflect the same in-network costs employers already pay, whether their models are self-funded or PEPM.
- We customize our solutions to meet the unique needs of your cast members, work culture, and site requirements. We also work with plan administrators to carriers to develop lists of in-network providers that we can refer employees to when additional treatment is recommended.
Why not schedule your first pop-up today? Or if you want to learn more about onsite mobile dentistry and value-based care, let’s get together and talk.