While financial return on investment is critical for ensuring sustainability, prioritizing “mission ROI” can help health systems overcome key challenges in healthcare, according to an op-ed written by two Meritus Health leaders and a public health expert published in MedPage Today.
When organizations focus primarily on financial ROI, initiatives that improve health but lack financial gains are often sidelined, according to the Sept. 18 article from Maulik Joshi, DrPH, president and CEO of Hagerstown, Md.-based Meritus Health; Remi Patel, chief of staff for Meritus Health; and Howard Haft, MD, adjunct professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore.
The authors propose mission ROI as a complementary tool to financial ROI. Evaluating programs on how they advance access and equity can drive progress toward the quintuple aim of healthcare — improving provider wellbeing, population health, patient experience, healthcare costs and health equity.
Financial ROI should not be the sole criterion for funding decisions, according to the op-ed. For example, a program that has a negative financial return but significantly improves patient access — such as opening a primary care practice in an underserved community — could be eliminated under traditional ROI evaluation methods.
The authors note that the U.S. ranks at the bottom among peer nations in health outcomes despite spending about three times the average per capita cost, underscoring the need for new ways to measure healthcare value.
Implementing mission ROI
Mission ROI should be assessed at the system level, the authors wrote. If an organization is meeting its financial goals, losses associated with individual initiatives can be absorbed if they drive progress toward its mission.
To implement mission ROI analyses, quality and clinical leaders should strengthen skills in population health, economic analysis and improvement science to advance this work, the leaders wrote.
“Organizations that can prioritize mission ROI will be better equipped to demonstrate their value in a way that differentiates them, which can help attract top talent, funding, and public trust,” the authors wrote. “Leaders who welcome this shift will not only advance the quintuple aim, but also future-proof their organization against shifting public expectations, regulatory demands, and workforce challenges.”
