Value-based outsourcing is associated with better environmental and economic sustainability metrics while maintaining patient safety: a comparative analysis of electricity use, water use, and prescription costs in public hospitals of Madrid (Spain)

Background: Healthcare systems face growing pressure to maintain high-quality care while improving environmental and economic sustainability. Hospitals are resource-intensive institutions, contributing substantially to energy and water consumption, pharmaceutical expenditure, and healthcare-related greenhouse gas emissions. Value-based healthcare models, including value-based outsourcing of publicly funded hospitals to private networks, have shown promise in improving quality and efficiency. However, their impact on sustainability outcomes remains underexplored. This study compared environmental and economic sustainability indicators between value-based outsourced and publicly managed hospitals. Methods: < 0.05 considered significant. Results: = 0.026), with significant differences primarily in medium-complexity hospitals. Outsourced hospitals demonstrated slightly but significantly lower rates of inpatient complications and hospital-acquired infections. Conclusions: Value-based outsourcing in Madrid's public hospitals was associated with improved environmental and economic sustainability, alongside favorable patient safety outcomes, despite higher case-mix complexity. These findings support incorporating sustainability indicators into performance-based healthcare models and suggest value-based outsourcing as a potential strategy to advance sustainable healthcare delivery.