Health Labs4Value speaks directly to countries and territories that are at an early stage of Value-Based Healthcare implementation. One of the most important messages emerging from the project is that VBHC should not be approached as a single reform to be “rolled out”, but as a learning journey that begins with modest, well-chosen steps.
European experience clearly shows that no health system started VBHC with a comprehensive national framework, sophisticated outcome registries or perfect data infrastructures. Instead, progress typically began with one care pathway, one population group or one territory where stakeholders were willing to experiment, learn and adapt together.
Countries such as the Netherlands have demonstrated the value of clinician-led redesign of care pathways, focusing on outcomes that matter to patients rather than on activity targets. Sweden offers long-standing experience with outcome registries that enable learning from variation across providers, while parts of the United Kingdom, particularly Wales and Scotland, have embedded VBHC within broader quality and population health strategies, supported by strong clinical and policy leadership.
Importantly, none of these examples represents a finished or universally transferable model. Their relevance lies not in replication, but in learning. The Health Labs4Value experience confirms that VBHC cannot be imported wholesale; it must be built locally, taking into account institutional culture, professional practice and patient needs.
For countries at an early stage, the project highlights several enabling principles. VBHC should begin with dialogue rather than measurement, focusing first on shared understanding of what outcomes matter. Data collection should support learning and improvement, not compliance or control. Most critically, VBHC initiatives must address real system pain points — fragmented care pathways, workforce pressure and administrative burden — if they are to gain legitimacy among healthcare professionals.
In this context, territorial Living Labs offer an ideal starting point. They allow countries to test value-based principles in real-life conditions, build trust among stakeholders and generate locally relevant evidence before considering broader scale-up.
Health Labs4Value therefore positions Value-Based Healthcare not as a destination to be reached, but as a continuous learning process, supported by collaboration, experimentation and mutual trust.