Value-based care (VBC) was meant to transform healthcare by rewarding outcomes over volume, improving patient experiences, and driving efficiency at scale. But for all its promise, and the billions of dollars invested, most value-based care programs still fall short.
Why? Because the healthcare industry keeps failing at the last mile.
What is the “Last Mile,” Exactly?
The “last mile” is the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it. Risk-bearing entities are generating smarter insights than ever by pinpointing care gaps, predicting risk, and designing interventions. But all too often, these insights live in static reports or disconnected dashboards that don’t reach the people who actually deliver care in an actionable way.
This leads to overwhelmed providers and care teams, fragmented workflows, missed opportunities, and programs that fall short of their potential.
As one of our partners put it, “You can have the best insight in the world, but if it doesn’t make it to the provider at the right moment in workflow, it doesn’t matter.”
Why Existing Solutions Fall Short
Healthcare is full of solutions that claim to “integrate” with provider workflows, but most are fragile, outdated, or often locked in legacy infrastructure. They demand providers and care teams adapt to them, instead of the other way around. For organizations managing risk, this creates two core problems: low clinical engagement and limited impact on performance metrics.
Closing the Last Mile Is a Systemic Challenge, Not Just a Tech One
Solving for the last mile isn’t simply a matter of plugging in new technology or “integrating” another feed. It requires:
- Rethinking how information flows
Can we make the right data, insight, or next-best action show up for clinicians in context, inside their workflow, without adding to the cognitive burden? - Co-designing with end users
Are providers , quality leaders, and care and IT teams collaborating on workflow design, or are solutions being imposed from the top down? - Building trust and transparency
Is the information surfaced truly relevant? Does it align with how providers are measured and paid? Does it enhance, rather than disrupt, the patient relationship? - Designing for adaptability
Are tools and workflows flexible enough to evolve as VBC contracts, incentive structures, and patient populations change?
What Success Looks Like: From Insights to Impact
When the last mile is closed, the difference is visible and measurable. Provider engagement increases. Gaps in care close faster. Clinical documentation improves in accuracy and completeness. Most importantly, the focus shifts from wrestling with technology to actually delivering better care.
Ultimately, the promise of value-based care cannot be fulfilled by data alone. It is realized when insights become action, when the right intervention, incentive, or resource reaches the clinician at the right moment in a frictionless way.
Making the Last Mile a Shared Priority
If you’re leading a risk-bearing organization, you already know the pressure to do more with less, to move faster and to improve performance without burning out your providers. That future won’t be built in dashboards or static reports. It will be embedded into technology that is context-aware, intuitive, and secure.
If you’re ready to turn insight into action and make the last mile your strongest link, we’d love to connect.
