Nurses Bridge the Gap: Embedding Patient Values in Value-Based Oncology Care

Oncology care is shifting toward value-based care (VBC) payment models that emphasize efficiency, outcomes, and cost control. Patient-centered care, although widely endorsed, remains difficult to operationalize in VBC systems.

This article explores the tensions between VBC and patient-centered care across key oncology stakeholders, and highlights how nurses can help bridge the gap by integrating patient values in care delivery.

A narrative review of policy developments, oncology-specific VBC frameworks, and stakeholder priorities was conducted. Definitions of value, quality, and cost were compared across stakeholders, and nursing roles were analyzed in relation to current clinical workflow challenges, framework limitations, and payment models.

Although VBC frameworks aim to standardize oncology practice and control costs, they often overlook patient-defined goals, lived experiences, and the nuanced trade-offs of cancer treatment. Oncology nurses are equipped to keep care anchored in what matters most to patients by eliciting and translating patient values, integrating them into care plans and workflows, and engaging with payers and policymakers to align quality measures and shape future VBC models.