[Value-based healthcare in oral care]

As in healthcare in general, oral care will increasingly be expected to evaluate the care provided in terms of quality, health benefits, and added value for the patient. Value-based healthcare provides a useful framework for this. To investigate whether value-based healthcare is also applicable within Dutch oral care, the Dutch Central Consultation Committee for Specialized Dentistry (COBIJT) took the initiative to develop the integrated quality system BIJTmeter within specialized dentistry, a field with complex care needs and a growing need for insight into the quality of care. Through a multidisciplinary process involving healthcare providers, patients, and insurers, a set of outcome measures was compiled, consisting of patient-reported outcomes, patient experiences, clinical outcomes, patient characteristics and data on the care pathway. BIJTmeter combines generic and discipline-specific measurement tools and enables systematic recording, analysis and digital feedback of outcomes to support quality improvement. As such, BIJTmeter represents a first step towards a coherent, outcome-focused quality system.