CAPHRI Case Studies
To showcase the impact and societal relevance of CAPHRI’s research, a selection of case studies is written every year. These stories illustrate how academic data translates into meaningful, real-world solutions.
While the collection aims to highlight the diversity of expertise within each Research Line, many studies naturally bridge multiple areas, reflecting a strong culture of collaboration.
Additionally, several case studies focus on overarching strategic themes that transcend specific lines, such as Quality Assurance, Citizen Science, and Living Labs. Together, these showcases provide a comprehensive insight into the high-quality research conducted across CAPHRI.
General
The Sectorplan Hub for Prevention: Tackling Disparities Together
The promotion of public health is challenged by a complex interplay of socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental disparities. Ensuring equity in prevention is essential to achieve health and well-being for all.
Quality Assurance: Support to Achieve the Best Research
When it comes to trustworthy research, the outcomes tell only a part of the story. In CAPHRI, focus lies on how those results are achieved, and help is offered along the way.
Living Labs at CAPHRI: Sustainable Team Science for Impactful Knowledge Development
Within CAPHRI, there is a longstanding tradition in which Living Labs have been developed as a structural response to complex health challenges like ageing populations and staff shortages. These sustainable partnerships continuously bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and practical expertise.
It leads to a different kind of knowledge that is more relevant to society
Public involvement in research, also known as citizen science, is a very common form of research at CAPHRI.
CAPHRI Quality Assurance system helps foster greater trust in research
Supporting researchers in conducting ethical and high-quality research - that is the power of the CAPHRI Quality Assurance system, say Laure Wynants and David Shaw enthusiastically.
Ageing and Long-Term Care Case Studies
Reablement in Action: Shifting Long-Term Care Focus
Demographic shifts force a rethink on aging. Many stay active, yet health changes can impact autonomy and purpose, values central to older adults.
“The ban on visitors really had a negative impact on the well-being of nursing home residents”
At the start of COVID-19, the Dutch Ministry of Health asked Professor Jan Hamers’ Living Labs in Ageing and Long-Term Care to help design nursing home visiting guidelines after full lockdowns hit. “Thanks in part to our research, they reopened their doors to visitors earlier,” Hamers says.
“We can be proud of the fact that Connecting Conversations is still of interest”
How can we accurately describe the experienced quality of care in nursing homes from the resident’s perspective? Six years ago, the healthcare organisations that are part of the Living Lab in Ageing and Long-Term Care Limburg (AWO-L) were in need of an answer to this question.
“It’s so important to involve patients in this type of research”
I-HARP is a tool to help healthcare providers timely identify and address the palliative care needs of people with heart failure. CAPHRI conducts research aimed at adapting I-HARP to a similar tool for people with COPD.
Creating Value-Based Health Care Case Studies
Ik Snap Je Zorg: Healthcare Of The Future Starts With Understanding Each Other Better Today
Imagine solving the future of healthcare over a serving of fries. It might sound unconventional, but sitting down together in a local neighbourhood setting is exactly where the solution begins.
Bridging Science, Policy and Society CAPHRI’s Global Impact through WHO Collaborating Centres
The World Health Organisation has officially designated two research hubs within the CAPHRI as WHO Collaborating Centres. This recognition underscores their crucial role in supporting the WHO European Region.
Something Old, Something New: Measuring the Real Labour Cost of Healthcare Innovation
CAPHRI researchers are redefining how we assess the true workforce impact of new healthcare technologies, moving beyond simple time measurements to ensure innovations genuinely support a sustainable workforce.
Reablement in Action: Shifting Long-Term Care Focus
Demographic shifts force a rethink on aging. Many stay active, yet health changes can impact autonomy and purpose, values central to older adults.
Functioning, Participation and Rehabilitation Case Studies
Integration of Work-Related Care in clinical practice
Despite medical advances, a persistent gap remains between work participation rates for people with chronic conditions and the general population.This enduring disparity signals an urgent need for targeted support to enable healthy, sustained employment.
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.
Health Inequities and Societal Participation Case Studies
Bridging Science, Policy and Society CAPHRI’s Global Impact through WHO Collaborating Centres
The World Health Organisation has officially designated two research hubs within the CAPHRI as WHO Collaborating Centres. This recognition underscores their crucial role in supporting the WHO European Region.
Something Old, Something New: Measuring the Real Labour Cost of Healthcare Innovation
CAPHRI researchers are redefining how we assess the true workforce impact of new healthcare technologies, moving beyond simple time measurements to ensure innovations genuinely support a sustainable workforce.
Integration of Work-Related Care in clinical practice
Despite medical advances, a persistent gap remains between work participation rates for people with chronic conditions and the general population. This enduring disparity signals an urgent need for targeted support to enable healthy, sustained employment.
"The future of research is transdisciplinary"
No, you certainly can’t call the COVID-19 pandemic a gift. “But”, says Christian Hoebe, “the pandemic did confirm to us that we at CAPHRI are on the right track with our transdisciplinary research on viruses and borders.
The challenge of growing social health inequalities in the era of participation
People with less education and in lower socioeconomic positions have a worse health status than their better-of counterparts.
Involving employees in creating a healthy workplace
Programmes to improve employee health often fail to have the desired effect, particularly for workers in manual occupations. Agnes Meershoek and Inge Houkes conduct research on participatory approaches to promoting employee health.
Optimising Patient Care Case Studies
Bridging Borders, Building Capacity: Shaping Research and Healthcare in Ethiopia
Since 2006, CAPHRI and Ethiopian researchers have partnered to boost local research capacity and tackle the nation’s most pressing health goals.
Complementary feeding during the first six months of life. Yes or no?
For years, children’s healthcare centres in the Netherlands advised young parents to feed their baby only breast milk for the first six months of life. The reality is a bit more nuanced, according to Carel Thijs.
Studying the Healthy Primary School of the Future
In 2015, four primary schools in the Parkstad Limburg region embarked on the Healthy Primary School of the Future programme. Their goal was to become schools that don’t just educate children, but also teach them how to live healthy lives.
COVID precise: Living systematic review of diagnostic and prognostic prediction and machine learning models for COVID-19
In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic plunged the world into turmoil. Which patients were at risk of severe illness? Laure Wynants immediately realised that she, as a statistician, could help them find the answers by identifying accurate prediction models.
Promoting Health and Personalised Care Case Studies
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.
