The implementation of Population Health Management: bridging science and practice

Abstract

In this dissertation is described why and how healthcare should change to uphold the principles of financially sustainable, universally accessible, and high quality healthcare provisioning. The research included in this dissertation uses Population Health Management (PHM) as a lens for guiding this change. Taking into account the social determinants of health, this approach evolves around the health of a population using both quantitative and qualitative data sources to select the most impactful interventions for change. The implementation of this approach was researched with a multitude of research methodologies. Building on a literature review and a delphi study, a learning tool was developed. Then, this Population Health Management Maturity Index (PHM-MI) was piloted in Australia. Next to that, an action research was performed to learn more in-depth about the implementation of PHM in a Dutch setting. The main message of this dissertation is that change in healthcare is hard work that we need to do together. For the health of our population, we need to collaborate across domains, bridging science and practice. We need to employ the knowledge, capabilities, and competencies of those in other fields, outside of the medical field, and those that are expert in their own neighborhood.