Promoting Health and Personalised Care
Our challenge is to attune population-based methods with highly individualized approaches in health promotion and personalized care, being inclusive for disadvantaged people and focusing on implementation issues.
Research and impact
We aim to develop, apply and test new theories, interventions and research methods to promote health and to implement personalized care and reflect on relevant ethical implications of new developments. Our research focuses on areas such as personalized prevention and healthcare interventions using innovative eHealth, interprofessional learning, and shared decision-making principles. To optimize societal impact, we collaborate with all relevant stakeholders, such as citizens, patients, health care professionals, scientists and policy makers.
News and research stories
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Case studies
Showcasing the impact and societal relevance of the research within Promoting Health and Personalised Care.
Dementia Prevention, Personalised: How Behavioural Science is Powering Digital Health
Technology-assisted health interventions are gaining global traction, yet a critical challenge remains: why do many fail to deliver sustained behaviour change?
Technology as a weapon against antibiotic resistance
Dr. Chris Arts is leading a major international study into alternatives to antibiotics, technological solutions and increased awareness of antimicrobial resistance.
Online access to medical information in primary care: the patient’s perspective
From 1 July 2020, all patients in the Netherlands have the right to access their medical information online through their primary care physician. But it will be quite a task for general practices to meet the legal and social requirements. To help GPs with this, a 4-year programme was launched.
SCALA: Prevention of heavy drinking in Latin America
Talking about alcohol use helps patients. But how can doctors and other health care providers be encouraged to bring up this topic with their patients? SCALA is investigating whether scaling up an intervention programme for alcohol problems is more effective with municipal action and support.
Shared Decision-Making benefits all patients
Doctors and patients making treatment decisions together benefits patients as well as the healthcare system in general. CAPHRI PhD candidates Ruben Sars and Romy Richter are convinced of this.
Paying employees to quit smoking pays off
Making a meaningful contribution to people’s health is what drives researchers at the research school CAPHRI at Maastricht University. But it usually takes some time for research to have a real-world effect. Two CAPHRI studies on smoking cessation are an exception to this rule.
PHPC Projects
Towards personalized treatment decision-making in Oncology
This project aims to improve personalized decision-making in oncological care by implementing the Integrated Oncological Decision-making Model (IODM) within oncological care pathways. In addition, the project seeks to gain in-depth insight into patients’ needs and experiences regarding treatment decision-making over time and across different care pathways. The ultimate goal is to better align treatment decisions with the individual patient.
Read more about Personalized treatment decision-making in Oncology
Development and evaluation of a 'decision aid' for clients choosing a care provider or type of care in long-term care
People who are about to enter long-term care, encompassing residential and nursing care, home care, disability care, mental healthcare, and social support, make choices that affect the longer term. However, they are often unaware that there are options available to them. Furthermore, the preferences of the client are not always discussed during the meetings in which decisions regarding long-term care are made.
In this project, the online tool www.watikbelangrijkvind.nl (whatisimportanttome.nl) was developed in collaboration with clients and client advocates. This tool helps clients become aware of what matters to them in life, and consequently, in long-term care. A practical evaluation demonstrated that the tool is user-friendly and can offer added value to both clients and client advocates. It can assist them in reflecting on and discussing the client's preferences when making choices about long-term care.
Read more about Development and evaluation of a 'decision aid' for clients choosing a care provider or type of care in long-term care
SCALA: Scale-up of Prevention and Management of Alcohol Use Disorders and Comorbid Depression in Latin America
The SCALA project (Scale-up of Prevention and Management of Alcohol Use Disorders and Comorbid Depression in Latin America) was an EU-funded initiative designed to train primary healthcare (PHC) providers to better identify and manage heavy drinking and comorbid depression in Colombia, Mexico, and Peru.
The multi-country implementation study, led by researchers at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, tested whether integrating capacity-building training with municipal and community support systems would lead to higher rates of health measurement and brief advice for at-risk patients compared to standard medical care
Read more about SCALA
LIME: Limburg MEET
The demand for care is increasing, healthcare professionals face a growing administrative burden, and more measuring equipment is entering the market. However, there is a lack of extra time. That is why LIME (LImburg MEet) was established to achieve better and more efficient care.
“By measuring smartly on the one hand, and optimally analysing and using that data for improvement on the other, you can simultaneously enhance care and keep it affordable.”
Read more about LIME
Back to Balance: Lifestyle transformation and support network enhancement for families with complex needs in Apeldoorn
Multi-problem households often face issues such as debt, mental health problems, and parenting difficulties. In principle, these families receive support from a municipal social neighbourhood team, with a focus on resolving the most urgent problems. However, substantial gains can often also be made in these households regarding lifestyle and social network development. In practice, social workers usually lack the time and capacity to fully address these areas.
Read more about Back to Balance
