How Health Systems Can Navigate Behavioral Change
An honest perspective from Scott Sears, MD, MBA, Chief Physician Executive, Honest Health
Part 2 of 4-part series guiding readers through the complexities of the transition to value-based care.
In part one of his four-part series, Dr. Sears outlined five critical questions for health system leaders to assess their organization’s readiness for a value-based care transition. Now, he shares his insights on how executives can be champions of change and empower their teams in value-based care.
As health systems face growing pressures, the transition to value-based care promises sustainability and improved outcomes. However, achieving success requires more than operational and cost containment changes — it demands a fundamental shift in behavior across every level of the organization.
Behavioral change is often the most difficult aspect, requiring leaders to confront ingrained practices and align teams around new priorities. Physicians, motivated by their commitment to improving patient lives, need guidance, tools, and support to thrive within value-based care models.
For health system leaders, this is an opportunity to embrace bold strategies and foster a culture of change. By focusing on core elements — mindset, motivation, and collaboration — they can build organizations that deliver results for physicians, patients, and the entire system.
Creating a blueprint for change
Delivering value in value-based care begins with a roadmap with a clear, shared vision that redefines success and aligns the entire organization around measurable, meaningful goals. This clarity establishes a strong starting point, helping teams navigate the complexities of the transition with purpose and focus.
Empowering physicians to lead the way
Physicians must first grasp the “why” behind value-based care: to improve the clinical outcomes and experiences of patients in the most reproducible and cost-effective way, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, gender, age, or any other number of variables. As physicians grasp this “why,” they begin to adopt and champion the “what” and “how” of value-based care. In fact, once firmly aligned with the “why,” physicians become the key drivers of organizational success.
Motivation by itself is not enough, however. Access to comparable, transparent data is crucial, allowing physicians to see how their performance aligns with evidence-based benchmarks and how they measure up against their peers. Performance data motivates and inspires physicians to utilize resources and implement practices that lead to the best outcomes for their patients. By equipping physicians with the right performance data that defines success and pairing it with tools, insights, and playbooks for support, leaders empower physicians to lead the way for a successful transition.
Laying the groundwork for organizational alignment
A structured framework is essential to navigate this transition effectively.
- Promote purpose and progress: Establish a shared vision for the future, supported by clear, measurable goals that illustrate progress and build confidence.
- Enable teams: Equip clinicians with the tools, training, and real-time, actionable insights needed to make informed decisions and maintain engagement.
- Foster collaborative cultures: Create a culture where teams feel supported, valued, and aligned with shared goals, cultivating a sense of ownership and commitment.
- Leverage strategic partnerships: Partner with organizations that bring expertise, proven resources, and innovative strategies to accelerate transformation and address gaps.
This framework ensures every team member has clarity about their role in the journey, enabling a cohesive and effective shift toward value-based care.
The role of executives in supporting change
The impact of value-based care transitions depends not only on clinicians but also on the leadership driving the change. Health system executives must take ownership of the transformation, ensuring the necessary vision, resources, and support are in place to enable teams to succeed.
Beyond operational oversight, executives must champion the shift in a way that resonates with their teams. Physicians and care teams are motivated by meaningful goals, but it’s up to leaders to align these incentives, remove barriers, and provide the tools needed to deliver high-quality, patient-centered care.
Leaders can drive change by focusing on three key areas:
- Align all incentives: At their core, physicians are driven by improving the lives of their patients. Build systems that empower them to deliver better care and measure their contributions in meaningful ways, with financial frameworks that support and enhance these efforts.
- Provide tools and resources: Ensure teams have access to complementary programs, staffing, technology, training, and proven playbooks needed to address gaps, reduce inefficiencies, and achieve performance goals in value-based care.
- Share metrics that matter: Implement scorecards that provide real-time, actionable insights. These tools should allow physicians to see their efforts compared to peers and benchmarks — not years later but in the moments when it matters.
Equally important, executives must embody the change they are leading. This is a change that must be felt as much as it is understood. By clearly articulating the “why” behind the shift, addressing fears and uncertainties, and fostering a culture that embraces change, leaders can inspire and empower their teams to succeed in their evolved environment.
Understanding change and the challenges it brings
Resistance to change is a natural hurdle in any major transformation, and value-based care is no exception. Organizations often encounter opposition driven by three key factors:
- Misaligned motivations: Teams may not see the direct connection between their actions and the overarching goals.
- Skepticism about the benefits: Without clear evidence of value, doubt can undermine engagement.
- Discomfort with those making the change: A lack of trust or confidence in leadership can create resistance to even the most well-intentioned efforts.
To move forward, leaders must first identify and address these root causes of opposition to foster alignment within their organization.
The path to overcoming these challenges lies in strategies that build trust, clarity, and shared purpose:
- Transparent communication: Regular, honest updates that explain the “why” behind the change.
- Tangible value: Highlight measurable improvements and early wins that reinforce the benefits of the shift.
- Shared goals: Create a sense of unity by aligning everyone around shared outcomes and celebrating progress together.
By embracing these strategies, leaders can transform resistance into engagement, setting the stage for meaningful, lasting change. Once resistance is addressed, metrics can help translate efforts into measurable progress and achievements.
Incorporate metrics to boost behavioral change
Metrics are a powerful tool in driving behavioral change, especially during the transition to value-based care. Process and outcome metrics work hand-in-hand to build confidence, ensure alignment, and sustain momentum.
Process metrics offer immediate feedback, guiding clinicians toward desired behaviors in the early stages.
Did you see your patient this quarter?
Was an annual wellness visit completed?
Did you see your patient within 48 hours of an emergency department discharge?
Did you document each medical problem of the patient?
Outcome metrics focus on intermediate or long-term performance and encapsulate true desired outcomes. However, they are often the result of a multitude of factors and are more difficult to immediately impact.
Did the patient have an exacerbation of a chronic illness leading to an unplanned admission?
Did a patient require readmission to the hospital?
What was the patient’s perception of their experience of receiving care?
Does the patient seek care in the ER for conditions that can be treated in the clinic?
Implementing effective processes leads to improved outcomes. By emphasizing process metrics early, organizations can establish trust and confidence in the value-based care model. As the model matures, incorporating outcome metrics provides a natural progression, allowing teams to measure sustained benefits.
Transparent and actionable insights not only keep clinicians informed but also foster accountability and engagement. This balanced approach ensures that care teams remain focused, empowered, and committed to delivering high-quality care throughout the transition to value-based care.
Meaningful motivation can inspire
While data and metrics provide structure, motivation drives change. Physicians and care teams are likely to embrace new models when they see tangible benefits for their patients, their practice, and themselves. Leaders can motivate change by:
- Allocating protected time for value-based care initiatives.
- Providing visibility into real-time charts that highlight positive trends and patterns.
- Offering team-based incentives that reward collaborative achievements.
Storytelling also plays a pivotal role. Sharing success stories — like how one partner organization reduced hospital admissions among diabetic patients by a third through coaching, scorecard programs, and connected incentives — makes the shift to value-based care relatable and inspiring. These stories illustrate the power of aligned incentives, actionable insights, and innovative approaches, motivating teams to fully embrace change.
Avoiding common missteps in change management
Despite the best intentions, organizations encounter challenges when attempting to shift behaviors, often due to avoidable missteps.
Unrealistic expectations
A common pitfall in value-based care transitions is expecting immediate financial results. This shift is complex, and measurable rewards often take 18 to 24 months to materialize. Unrealistic expectations can breed frustration, erode trust, and even lead to the abandonment of efforts before they have a chance to succeed.
To avoid this, leaders must adopt a long-term perspective and establish realistic timelines that reflect the gradual nature of this transformation. Implementing financial safeguards during this transition is crucial to maintaining stability and organizational confidence.
Partnering with an experienced organization that offers financial protections and shared-risk solutions can provide an additional layer of security. These partnerships help stabilize operations, mitigate financial pressures, and ensure that teams remain focused on achieving sustainable success in value-based care
Lack of accountability
Accountability ensures that everyone is working toward the same goal, and it starts with providing reliable data and actionable performance feedback. Physicians respond well when their efforts are directly tied to measurable outcomes, making transparent scorecards an essential tool for fostering accountability.
When accountability is presented in a familiar and straightforward way, it not only engages physicians but also builds trust in the process. By creating this clarity, leaders can encourage meaningful adjustments that drive improved performance, align organizational priorities, and strengthen the transition to value-based care.
Attempting a transition alone
Too often, organizations mistakenly assume they can manage the monumental shift to value-based care independently. While they may succeed in some areas, there’s a high risk of costly missteps.
Organizations that make the transition appear seamless often benefit from a trusted partner, like Honest Health, guiding their efforts. The right partner can bring value to the value-based transition by:
- Negotiating payer contracts that align incentives and deliver mutually beneficial agreements.
- Offering shared-risk solutions and financial protections to stabilize operations and make the transition to risk less risky.
- Introducing collaborative care models and diverse revenue streams to reduce operational burdens and improve overall efficiency.
By leveraging a partner’s proven strategies and support, health systems can focus on their core mission — delivering high-quality care. With the right partnership, the transition to value-based care becomes not only manageable but transformative.
By avoiding these common missteps and maintaining focus on shared goals and measurable outcomes, leaders can position their organizations for long-term success in value-based care.
Maintain focus to lead change and achieve results
Driving behavioral change in value-based care requires a deliberate and strategic approach that prioritizes clarity, engagement, and empowerment. Setting specific goals, designing incentives that go beyond financial rewards, and emphasizing the positive effect on patient care — especially for physicians — are crucial.
Effective and inspiring leadership is essential for guiding teams through the complexities of this transition. By equipping teams with actionable tools, transparent systems, and real-time metrics, they can foster trust, accountability, and momentum in the shift. Addressing resistance head-on and reinforcing progress with measurable outcomes creates a solid foundation for a smooth and effective shift to value-based care.
As you evaluate your organization’s readiness for this shift, consider the importance of thoughtful incentives, actionable metrics, and strong partnerships. With deliberate leadership and a commitment to continuous improvement, you can address these change challenges and position your team for lasting impact.
The journey is not over yet, as embracing data-driven strategies and innovative tools will be essential. In the next installment of this series, ‘From Insight to Action: Leveraging Data and Technology in Value-Based Care,’ Dr. Sears explores key considerations, common barriers, and strategies to ensure your tech investments drive real, measurable advancement in the shift to VBC.