Healthy Society

Relevant research areas

Within the strategic focus area of a Healthy Society, we broadly differentiate between three domains of research:

Health Economics
In Health Economics, research focuses on topics such as the interaction between the health of individuals and their social and economic environment, health disparities, comparisons of outcomes and costs of care providers, economic evaluations of care interventions, and measuring the wellbeing of citizens, clients and staff.

Business and Health
Research in the Business and Health theme focuses on the factors that affect people’s health choices in their normal everyday lives (at home, work, supermarkets, school and restaurants). Topics include the role and responsibility of the business sector in stimulating healthy behaviour, influencing techniques and consumer behaviour (prevention, nudging, interventions), and the ethical aspects of healthy behaviour and technological innovations.

Healthcare Management
Healthcare Management focuses on the organization of care and improving performance in the healthcare sector. Topics include quality and safety, patient logistics, value-based care, implementing innovations (e.g. eHealth) and integrated care collaboration.

Key Researchers

• Prof. Rob Alessie
• Prof. Viola Angelini
• Prof. Gerard van den Berg
• Prof. Manda Broekhuis
• Prof. Koert van Ittersum
• Prof. Jochen Mierau
• Prof. Taco van der Vaart

Requirements

• A research master or master of science degree in a relevant field, and sufficient affinity to the field of economics & business. Please note an MBA does not meet this criterion.
• Fluent in English

Research topics Healthcare Management

• Healthcare innovation and new healthcare concepts
• Organization of intra- and extra-mural healthcare processes
• Multidisciplinary teams
• E-health
• Stimulating a healthy life style of employees
• Clinical governance

Research topics Business and Health

• Healthy lifestyle programs
• Support healthy food purchases
• Healthy workplace
• Organizational Psychology

Research topics Health Economics

• The interplay between the health and the economy
• Incentive policies in healthcare
• Organizing health
• Economic analysis
• Pension systems

Examples of current PhD Projects

• How effective are health programs?, Elena Agachi
• Towards cost-effective prevention of non-communicable diseases in Southeast Asia, Manuela Fritz
• Simultaneous cooperation and competition in healthcare. How ‘coopetition’ influences performance in Dutch regional oncology networks , Michael Fröhlke
• Green means go healthy: how transparent and actionable food labeling helps customers make healthier purchases, David Olk
• How healthy is your basket? The effect of real-time nutritional feedback on the healthiness of food purchase decisions, Wieteke de Vries
• The effect of colonial rule on health and health care in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, 1900-1960, Arlinde Vrooman
• Waist versus waste: Understanding the interface between health and sustainability in consumer food consumption, Amber Werkman

Information

More information can also be found at the website of FEB’s centre of expertise Centre for Public Health in Economics and Business, coordinated by Prof.dr.ir. Koert van Ittersum.

Contact

The Graduate School Economics & Business coordinates all applications and requests for information.
Please contact Ms Rina Koning and not individual researchers.