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Centre for Public Health in Economics and Business
Faculty of Economics and Business
Centre for Public Health in Economics and Business Expertise

Projects

Open book

Healthy Ageing neighbourhood approach
Improving Healthy Ageing neighbourhood approach in Selwerd
Prof. dr. Manda Broekhuis and prof. dr. Kees Ahaus

Prof. dr. Manda Broekhuis and prof. dr. Kees Ahaus are looking to improve the Healthy Ageing neighbourhood approach in Selwerd, a neighbourhood in Groningen, in close collaboration with the municipality of Groningen. Currently, the municipality still doesn’t sufficiently reach the most vulnerable group. Broekhuis and Ahaus are going to investigate three things with their team, on behalf of ZonMw. Firstly, a comparative analysis will be made over a period of 10 years of approaches in various neighbourhoods in the municipality of Groningen, to find good practices in the approach. Secondly, they will examine how informal structures and formal structures in the neighbourhood support each other. Finally, they will examine how the quality and coordination of the care and service provision to residents can be improved.

Based on, among other things, the self-sufficiency of the residents, they will create profiles of neighbourhood residents with relatively similar needs, after which an integrated and demand-oriented offer can be developed and received for specific segments. The main focus is giving back the control to the residents with their needs, so that the neighbourhood approach becomes more demand-driven than supply-driven.

In collaboration with the Gemeente Groningen

Logistical organisation of acute care
Improving the logistical organisation of acute care for people who have suffered a stroke
Prof. dr. Erik Buskens (UMCG epidemiology, FEB), dr. ir. Durk-Jouke van der Zee (FEB), dr. Maarten Lahr (UMCG epidemiology), dr. Maarten Uyttenboogaart (UMCG Neurology), dr. Gert-Jan Luijckx (UMCG Neurology), and Willemijn Maas Msc (UMCG-Neuology-Epidemiology)

New treatments for acute stroke (cerebral infarction or cerebral hemorrhage) are being investigated within the national project CONTRAST ( COnsortium for New TReatments of Acute STroke ). This large-scale five-year project takes place on behalf of the Dutch Heart Foundation (Hartstichting) and in collaboration with the Dutch Brain Foundation (Hersenstichting) and various international organisations. Participants in the project are all from the Dutch academic medical centers and many top clinical hospitals. Building on an earlier successful collaboration, a team of researchers from FEB and UMCG is investigating the organisation of the acute care chain, based on existing and new treatments.

The researchers involved are prof. dr. Erik Buskens (UMCG Epidemiology, FEB), dr. ir. Durk-Jouke van der Zee (FEB), dr. Maarten Lahr (UMCG Epidemiology), dr. Maarten Uyttenboogaart (UMCG Neurology), dr. Gert-Jan Luijckx (UMCG Neurology) and Willemijn maas Msc (UMCG-Neuology-Epidemiology) . On the basis of simulation models, the team investigates how they can optimise chain logistics; how do you optimalise the connection between the links and where could time be saved? In addition, they are investigating the network topology, i.e. how the distribution of facilities in the Netherlands can best, and cost-effectively, be set up. A special aspect of this project is that the care networks are designed and tested before an innovation is implemented in healthcare.

In collaboration with the UMCG and Dutch Heart Foundation

Clinical Auditing
Effectiveness of clinical audit
Lisanne Hut-Mossel MSc, Prof. Dr. Rijk Gans, Prof. Dr. Kees Ahaus, Dr. Gera Welker
Clinical audits are specifically oriented at achieving quality improvements by systematically examining the healthcare provided, and then further monitoring following the implementation of healthcare improvements. To date, there is little evidence on the mechanisms and the effectiveness of clinical audits. This research aims to identify factors that influence the effectiveness of audits and evaluate the effects of clinical audits on the quality of healthcare.
In collaboration with the UMCG, Centre of expertise on Quality and Safety

Clinical Governance
Clinical governance and motivation
Gepke Veenstra MSc., Prof. Dr. Erik Heineman, Prof. Dr. Eric Molleman, Dr. Gera Welker
Gepke's PhD research focuses on Clinical Governance, which is an organisationwide strategy to improve the outcomes of healthcare by involving healthcare professionals. The outcomes of healthcare are largely dependent on healthcare professionals’ behavior, therefore, healthcare professionals play an important role in quality improvement. Since behavior stems from motivation, Gepke's research draws on Self-Determination Theory to understand the factors that influence the outcomes of healthcare through healthcare professionals’ motivation.
In collaboration with the UMCG, Centre of expertise on Quality and Safety

Continuity of Care
Handover of care
Piet Penninga, Prof. Dr. Jan de Vries, Prof. Dr. Cees van der Schans, dr. Jac Christis
Handover of care is essential for the continuation of the healthcare process. However, handover of care seems to be one of the weakest links in the healthcare supply-chain. Handover of care is a complex interface function in which information, communication, responsibility, and the organizational setting interact. It is known from Operations Management that these elements are important for the performance of a supply chain. This research aims to develop multidisciplinary scientific knowledge and a tool for handover performance in order to describe, analyse, improve, and redesign handover of care.
In collaboration with the Hanze University of Applied Sciences

e-Health
TeleBalance
dr. Fred van Blommestein, dr. Gerdien Regts, dr. Els Maeckelberghe
Study autonomy perception and authorization schemes for elderly using serious games
In collaboration with a software company
Sprint@Work
Anne Bonvanie MSc , Marlon de Jong MSc, Charissa Roosien MSc, Sander Spook MSc
Improve self-management of health at the workplace by inobtrusive measurement
In collaboration with 12 suppliers, 5 pilot organisations, 3 knowledge institutions
Verzoamelstee
Dr. Eveline Hage
Relation between use of social media and social connectedness
In collaboration with different municipalities
Exploring "disruptive" role of social media in healthcare
Edin Smailhodzic MSc, prof. dr. Albert Boonstra, dr. David Langley
The project explores patients use of social media for health related purposes, how this use affects doctor-patient relationship and how healthcare providers respond to this emerging phenomena.
In collaboration with TN O
Implementing the "Verzoamelstee": using ICT-services for increasing welfare, quality of life and the self-reliance of elderly

Dr. Eveline Hage, dr. Marjolein van Offenbeek, Prof. Dr. Albert Boonstra, prof. Dr. Ir. Hans Wortmann

The Verzoamelstee aimed to improve the wellbeing of older adults in rural areas by, among other things, facilitating the implementation of IS applications that provide wellbeing services as well as other services. The implementation should enable older adults to live independently, increase social cohesion within the participating villages and include the most vulnerable.

In collaboration with UMCG, Vereniging Groninger Dorpen, Menzis; Organisation Collaborating Elderly Unitons (OSO); Zorgbelang; Municipality Winsum; Municipality Ten Boer; Municipality Bedum

Healthcare Purchasing
Purchaser-provider relationship governance in the COPD care supply chain

Bart Noort MSc, Prof. Dr. Ir. Kees Ahaus, dr. Taco van der Vaart

In this project we explore how a healthcare purchaser (health insurer) can use its unique position in the supply chain to improve task division and collaboration in a COPD supply chain. We particularly focus on the role of contractual and relational governance mechanisms used within the relationship between the purchaser and providers.

In collaboration with the Pulmonology Partnership Friesland, De Friesland Health Insurance

Healthcare Economics
Evaluation of specialist nursing support for caregivers of people with dementia

Without unpaid caregivers – partners, family member and friends – health and social care services could not care for people with dementia. We have evidence about the effects of being a caregiver for a person with dementia, but still do not know how to provide specialist support to caregiver effectively and efficiently.

Admiral Nursing is the only dementia specialist nursing service for caregivers in the United Kingdom and has 65 schemes. The National Health Service, local authorities and voluntary organisations pay for and/or host Admiral Nursing services in different areas. While they are set up, run and funded differently, all Admiral Nursing services focus their support on caregivers. Research has described what Admiral Nursing services do and what caregivers think about them. However, this research did not look at how effective the services are, how much they cost or how they work with other health and social care services.

Our research will try to answer the question: What are the costs and benefits for caregivers of people with dementia and the health and social care system of providing specialist nursing support?

In collaboration with Social Policy Research Unit & Centre for Health Economics, University of York; Admiral Nursing (Dementia UK)

Consumption aging
Quantitative research into expenditures on care and support among elderly people

Dr. Raun van Ooijen

This project investigates the importance of health-related expenses over the life cycle. We analyze how the composition of expenditures changes when health deteriorates. We acquire insight into the willingness to pay for health-related expenses and how this relates to the financial situation of the household and the availability of informal care.

In collaboration with Netspar

Motivation
The art of persuasion

Dr. Susanne Täuber

It is important to convince people to live healthy, but what if well-intended attempts backfire? If being healthy is seen as a moral duty, it could lead to defensive behaviour. I research the effects of moral judgements on the self-reliant participation society that we aim for.

In collaboration with FitGaaf!

New Medical Professions
Effect evaluation Pilot Hospital doctor - Fase II

dr. Marjolein van Offenbeek, dr. Roel Bakker , dr. Gerdien Regts-Walters, dr. Oskar Roemeling, dr. Janita Vos

In collaboration with SOZG, financed by Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport
The study programme to become a hospital doctor: final report of a process evaluation

dr. Marjolein van Offenbeek, dr. Annemiek Visser, Dr. Roel Bakker

In collaboration with SOZ, financed by Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport

Health Self-management
SPRINT@Work: health self-management of employees and the role of job-related autonomy

Anne Bonvanie-Lenferink MSc, dr. Manda Broekhuis, Prof. Dr. Ir. Hans Wortmann, Dr. Els Maeckelberghe

A large number of interviews with employees that wear employer-provided health self-management tools is conducted, after which a measure for job-related autonomy is developed and used in the study at Nij Smellinghe.

In collaboration with a large employer in the North of the Netherlands
SPRINT@Work: health self-management of employees

Anne Bonvanie-Lenferink MSc, dr. Manda Broekhuis, Prof. Dr. Ir. Hans Wortmann, Dr. Els Maeckelberghe

At Nij Smellinghe, 150 employees are wearing activity trackers that provide them with feedback on their behavior. Our goal is to study how different types of feedback impact the effectiveness of the health self-management tool, and what the boundary conditions for effective health self-management are

In collaboration with Nij Smellinghe, Drachten

Patient Safety
The litigation attitude of physicians - a steppingstone to patient safety

Erik Renkema MSc

This research contains several studies on the relationship between physicians' litigation attitude and their patient safety behaviors. Conditions that influence this relationship have been studied as well as physicians' incident disclosure behavior.


Prevention
Moralization of Obesity

Dr. Leatitia Mulder, prof. dr. ir. Koert van Ittersum, Rowan Leerentveld

In the food and health domain, we currently employ victim blaming strategies in an attempt to motivate individuals to lead a healthy lifestyle. A first study finds that victim blaming is detrimental to healthy eating behavior in obese individuals, but not in normal weight individuals. Moreover, this research finds indications that blaming an external party (the manufacturers of processed food) might be beneficial in weight management for obese individuals, but not for normal weight individuals. Additional research is conducted to gain a more in-depth understanding of the underlying mechanism.

Healthy Shopping Baskets

Prof. dr. ir. Koert van Ittersum, Mark van der Heide, dr. Jenny van Doorn, prof. Dr. Tammo Bijmolt

In collaboration with PLUS Retail, we conduct research aimed at helping consumers create healthier shopping baskets. To be able to help consumers create healthier shopping basket as they shop for groceries, it is important to understand the grocery shopping process. This project aims to improve our understanding of the grocery shopping process using laboratory, field, and natural experiments in collaboration the retailer.

In collaboration with PLUS supermarket
The effect of healthy choice behavior on foodwaste

Dr. Jenny van Doorn, Marit Drijfhout, Prof. dr. ir. Koert van Ittersum

Food waste is an important societal problem with negative consequences for food security, the environment and consumer well-being. Every year one-third of all edible food products for human consumption is wasted or lost in the supply chain, while at the same time around one billion people around the globe are malnourished. In this research project, we examine whether and how healthy choice behavior may influence food waste.

Changing sport canteens to improve snack behavior among children

Prof. dr. ir. Koert van Ittersum

In collaboration with among others the KNVB, this line of research intends to improve healthy food choices in sports and company cafeteria by improving the assortment and changing the environment to facilitate healthy choices. A first project, involving two MSc students, Sasja van der Leeuw and Esther Kooistra, tested the effect of introducing a healthy kids snack box in one KNVB sport canteen on healthy snack choice.

In collaboration with KNVB
The effect of health-support programs on healthy lifestyles

Prof. dr. ir. Koert van Ittersum, prof. Dr. Tammo Bijmolt

In collaboration with Menzis, this research studies whether and how health-support programs (e.g., Samen Gezond) influence the healthiness of participants’ lifestyles. A first project, involving one MSc student Ruben van Brug, has been finalized and a second student will continue this line of research.

In collaboration with Menzis
Adoption radical behavioral changes

Jan Koch MSc, dr. Jan Willem Bolderdijk, Prof. dr. ir. Koert van Ittersum

Research on what influences the adoption likelihood of radical behavior changes (e.g., consumption insects).

Health segmentation

Dr. Jenny van Doorn, Prof. dr. ir. Koert van Ittersum

In collaboration with the The Netherlands Nutrition Centre Foundation (Stichting Voedingscentrum), and MSc students Renée van Dijk and Janneke Schippers, we have conducted research to research whether valuable consumer health segments can be identified based on people’s value orientations.

In collaboration with Voedingscentrum
HeadsUp research: How good youth support benefits society

Taking good care of our youth is an efficient way to create a strong society with adults that live their lives happily. An element of good care is giving the best proven treatment and support to children that are in need of it.

How sooner children receive proper help, the better the chance that they will grow up to being balanced adults that contribute to society, both in social and economic regard. Adults who are capable of taking care of themselves, who won’t be addicts and won’t end up being criminals. Adults that don’t cause inconvenience to society and, in terms of business, cost less money.

Evidence-based youth healthcare doesn’t only solve today’s problems, but also prevents future problems.

More efficient, cheaper and better

Research programme Heads Up is set up around the question:

What are the societal and financial gains of good healthcare exactly, how can we calculate them and how do they relate to the costs of care?

With the tools that Heads Up will yield, we can provide insight into the benefits of healthcare on the long-run. Local authorities will gain more control with such information and institutions will be better able to estimate which healthcare developments deserve to be prioritised. In this way, youth healthcare will be more efficient, cheaper and better.

Collaboration RUG and Accare

Heads Up is part of the centre of expertise Healthwise, within which dozens of studies are done in the field of health(care) management and economics. For Heads Up, the faculty of Economics and Business (University of Groningen) and Accare’s scientific section work closely together.

Visit our HeadsUP kick-off.


ROM
The role of Routine Outcome Monitoring (ROM) in mental health care and the evaluation of a ROM-based computerized clinical decision support system to improve the quality of care

Magda Tasma, Prof. dr. Albert Boonstra; drs. Stynke Castelein; Philippe Delespaul

In collaboration with Lentis

Healthcare Organisation
Organisational models for thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke: a simulation exemplar

Dr. Maarten Lahr, Prof. Erik Buskens, Dr. Gert Jan Luijckx, Dr. Patrick Vroomen, Dr. van der Zee

Aim of this thesis was to perform an observational study comparing a centralized versus a decentralized organizational model for acute ischemic stroke patients. Next, we performed a simulation study to identify barriers and opportunities for improvements along the acute stroke pathway.

Last modified:09 April 2020 4.15 p.m.
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