On 9 October, the 1st EMHA Value-Based Healthcare (VBHC) Meeting took place at the Dr Correia de Campos Auditorium, located at the Northern Rehabilitation Centre in Vila Nova de Gaia. The event brought together more than 150 participants, attending both in person and via live streaming on YouTube.
The opening session was chaired by Professor Artur Silva, President of the Egas Moniz Health Alliance (EMHA), and Dr Luís Matos, President of the Board of Directors of the Gaia and Espinho Local Health Unit (ULSGE), the host institution, which has already established eight multidisciplinary clinics based on the principles of Value-Based Healthcare.
Throughout the morning, speakers explored the foundations and vision of Value-Based Healthcare, highlighting topics such as technology, research, and risk-sharing agreements. Participants were also introduced to the multidisciplinary clinics currently operating across EMHA partner Local Health Units, including programmes dedicated to HIV, Heart Failure (PiiC-MI), Patient Blood Management (PBM), and Healthy Lifestyles (Viva Melhor).
A round-table discussion brought together the Presidents of the Boards of Directors of the EMHA partner Local Health Units to reflect on the main challenges associated with implementing the VBHC model.
Dr Miguel Paiva, President of the Board of Directors of the Entre Douro e Vouga Local Health Unit, explained that the recent reorganisation of Local Health Units had introduced additional challenges, particularly the need to respond to the most urgent operational demands. He acknowledged that stronger financial incentives could accelerate the implementation of VBHC and highlighted his institution's work on risk stratification as a key foundation for future development.
Representing the Baixo Mondego Local Health Unit, Dr Raquel Santos emphasised that, despite the pressures of everyday clinical practice, Value-Based Healthcare must remain a strategic priority. She observed that any meaningful transformation inevitably challenges the status quo and noted that reforms of this scale cannot be achieved within one or two years. She stressed the importance of educating healthcare professionals while fostering a new patient-centred perspective.
Dr Luís Matos, President of the Board of Directors of ULSGE, also identified limited funding as a major obstacle but advocated continuing with pilot projects. He pointed to organisational maturity as another challenge, arguing that institutions must be prepared to adapt to the consequences of implementing a value-based model. He further noted that the introduction of a standardised cost-per-patient methodology across Local Health Units would enable meaningful benchmarking, potentially leading to the redistribution of certain clinical procedures between institutions.
Dr Margarida França, President of the Board of Directors of the Aveiro Local Health Unit (ULSRA), stated that she welcomed interinstitutional comparison, arguing that learning from the best-performing organisations is essential for continuous improvement. She also emphasised the importance of ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of Value-Based Healthcare programmes and suggested that, following such a productive meeting, EMHA should consider publishing a position paper on the subject.
The closing session featured Francisco Rocha Gonçalves, Secretary of State for Health Management, who highlighted the importance of publishing scientific research on Value-Based Healthcare—not for recognition, but to document the work undertaken and ensure that future generations can learn from today's experiences. He also underlined that the successful implementation of VBHC requires a profound cultural transformation across the healthcare system.
Following an intensive morning programme, the afternoon was dedicated to a practical workshop in which participants worked in small multidisciplinary groups to design new Value-Based Healthcare clinics. The session was led by Serafim Guimarães, from the ULSGE Value Promotion Service, Professor Firmino Machado, Director of the ULSGE Management Unit for Planning, Innovation and Population Health, and Diana Paupério, Coordinator of the ULSGE Cardiac Surgery Patient Blood Management Programme.
The workshop brought together 40 healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurses, managers, researchers, and pharmacists, creating a collaborative environment focused on designing innovative solutions centred on value in healthcare.
As Dr Raquel Santos remarked during the meeting, "we must allow courage to walk alongside knowledge." EMHA believes it is taking meaningful steps towards transforming the healthcare model, delivering benefits not only for patients' quality of life but also for healthcare institutions through greater efficiency, improved outcomes, and more sustainable use of resources.