Bundled payment in primary care physiotherapy

Man helps older woman
In the Netherlands, physiotherapists work with a fee for service system. This system has advantages, but also disadvantages. For example, the system hampers the implementation of new innovations. Within this pilot ‘bundled payment’ was implemented as alternative payment system within primary physiotherapeutic care for patients with hip- and knee osteoarthritis.

Objective

Identification of physiotherapists’ barriers and facilitators for the implementation of bundled payment in primary care for patients with hip and knee osteoarthritis.

Results

Physiotherapists see bundled payment as the future, but experience barriers during the implementation. This was caused by the instruction, unfamiliarity with the concept and the specific target population.

Duration

01 June 2018 - 01 September 2021

Approach

A group of 37 primary care physiotherapists was offered to use the bundled payment arrangement for one year in their patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis, insured by VGZ. Afterwards, physiotherapists were invited for an interview.

HU researchers involved in the research

Related research groups

Collaboration with knowledge partners

The project group consisted of VGZ, ReumaNederland and Zorg1.