AVBC is about delivering care that is clinically-effective, relevant to the patient, and delivered in the right setting, whether that's in a hospital, a clinic, or closer to home. At its heart, AVBC is about doing what matters most for patients, while using our healthcare resources wisely and sustainably.
It is guided by five core principles:
- Care is evidence-based: Care decisions are based on the best available, scientifically validated data. Standardised care decisions reduce variability in clinical outcomes.
- Care is patient-centred: Care is designed with the patient's treatment goals in mind. Patient-centredness promotes patient activation through access to timely information and/or shared decision-making.
- Care is right-sited: Care is delivered in the most appropriate setting, balancing patient needs and cost-efficiency.
- Care is integrated and coordinated: Care is delivered in an organised manner that avoids duplication or overlaps in care.
- Care is cost-effective and sustainable: Data is collected and analysed for the objective assessment of cost-effectiveness. Resource management decision-making is primarily guided by the desired value it generates (i.e., desired clinical and cost outcomes).
Together, these principles help us build a healthcare system that delivers care that's not just effective—but also meaningful, personal, and lasting.
Learn more here.
Singapore's Value Journey
Aligning for Impact: Advancing Appropriate and Value-Based Care
Singapore's journey toward value-based healthcare began as early as the 1990s, with national efforts to ensure care was both clinically sound and cost-effective. Foundational steps included Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and the development of Clinical Practice Guidelines to support evidence-based decisions.
In 2017, the Ministry of Health launched the Three Beyonds strategy:
- Beyond Healthcare to Health
- Beyond Hospital to Community
- Beyond Quality to Value
This signalled a strong national commitment to value—catalysing programmes like the National Value-Driven Care (VDC) Programme, which benchmarks clinical outcomes and costs across public hospitals.
As Singapore's healthcare landscape evolved, the need to better align and integrate these value-oriented efforts became clearer. This led to the articulation of Appropriate and Value-Based Care (AVBC)—not as a new initiative or replacement for Value-Based Healthcare (VBHC), but as a unifying aspiration that brings together diverse programmes under a shared vision. It also represents a renewed and intensified push toward value-based healthcare—one that aligns policy, financing, and care delivery more cohesively across the system.
AVBC provides a common language to guide transformation. It bridges policy, practice, and financing—aligning incentives, promoting evidence-based decisions, and putting patient needs at the centre of care.
Several system-wide developments laid the groundwork for AVBC by advancing key principles of value—even before AVBC was formally articulated. These include:
- The Cancer Drug List (CDL) and Surgical Implant Subsidy List (ISL), aligning subsidies with treatments that offer better value
- Formation of the Agency for Logistics and Procurement Services (ALPS) Healthcare, supporting collective procurement across the public healthcare sector
- Launch of Healthier SG in 2023, with capitation funding to support preventive, population-based care
- Wider adoption of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) and Patient-Reported Experience Measures (PREMs)
Today, all three public healthcare clusters—the National University Health System (NUHS), the National Healthcare Group (NHG), and the Singapore Health Services (SHS)—are applying AVBC principles across care delivery, payment models, and education.
With growing alignment across the system, Singapore is well-placed to take the next leap—driving value and transforming care together, for patients.
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