Exploring facilitators and barriers in the financial model of hospitals: a qualitative case study on prehabilitation...

To explore facilitators and barriers in the financial model of hospitals when a change in a care pathway is implemented.

A qualitative research reported according to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research.

Five hospitals in the Netherlands, between February and September 2023.

28 interviewees with 7 different stakeholders: (director of) healthcare procurement, contracting manager, financial, business or project manager, physical therapist, board of Medical Consultant Group and surgeon.

The absence of permanent funding in the hospital reimbursement model and the allocation of available resources in the internal hospital distribution model are the two most important barriers when implementing prehabilitation for patients with colorectal cancer. The main facilitator was found to be the internal provision of spare budget. Lump sum agreements are the preferred contract type because they may facilitate internal substitution of budgets according to need. Bundling primary and hospital care funding is recommended to overcome barriers in the financial model. Activity-based budgeting is the preferred budgeting method because budgets can be adjusted over time according to costs. Cost reduction can only be achieved when prehabilitation is offered to more patients. In addition to an appropriate financial model, preconditions like the involvement of a medical specialist and sense of urgency in the organisation should also be arranged.

The financial model of hospitals may affect the implementation of changes in care pathways. Despite barriers in both the reimbursement and the distribution model, it is possible to facilitate this transformation.