Physical Activity (PA) is one of the most important lifestyle factors influencing human health. The general and disease-specific health benefits of PA are well known to the general population and... Show morePhysical Activity (PA) is one of the most important lifestyle factors influencing human health. The general and disease-specific health benefits of PA are well known to the general population and to those people living with rheumatic musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). The importance of PA as an intervention for the management of RMDs has been endorsed by various stakeholders, e.g. the World Health Organisation and the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology/EULAR. The early translation of research evidence into clinical care benefits patients with RMDs greatly.This thesis is focused on the effects and promotion of PA and exercise on people with RMDs, and particularly those with axial Spondyloarthritis (axSpA).The overall aim of this thesis was to document the journey from the development of the EULAR PA recommendations for people with RMDs (including axSpA) to the practical implementation of a concept for group exercise therapy for people with axSpA living in Switzerland that conforms to these recommendations. Show less
Nursing participation in how new working methods for nurses are introduced on the ICU is thought to improve patient outcomes and the autonomy of the nurses. Hard evidence by direct comparison in... Show moreNursing participation in how new working methods for nurses are introduced on the ICU is thought to improve patient outcomes and the autonomy of the nurses. Hard evidence by direct comparison in the presence or absence of IC-nursing participation is not available. The ICU of the St Antonius Hospital offered this opportunity of an experimental and a control group with a minimal chance of mutual influence between the groups. We investigated the differences in care using two different implementation methods: a) a method which does not allow participation in implementation decisions and b) a method which does allow participation. The result differences between the groups show that participation of nurses in the implementation resulted in better patient outcomes and more nursing compliance. It also resulted in more professional clinical autonomy, changes in the personal orientation of nurses towards their activities and in their personal norms and values. The differences suggest that participation led to changing of the protocol while the goals of the protocol were adhered to. The increase in professional clinical autonomy, not connected to the innovation suggests that taking part of the participation was more important than the participation actions. Show less
Chronic respiratory disease (CRD) is a silent, ongoing pandemic. It disproportionally affects low-resource settings. Tobacco smoke and kitchen smoke (caused by the use of solid fuels and... Show moreChronic respiratory disease (CRD) is a silent, ongoing pandemic. It disproportionally affects low-resource settings. Tobacco smoke and kitchen smoke (caused by the use of solid fuels and inefficient stoves) are major risk factors. Evidence-based solutions to CRD often fail to be effective, as they misalign with local needs and then fail to be implemented. This thesis focused on how lung health solutions can be implemented successfully by capitalising on the local needs.Within the Horizon2020 FRESH AIR implementation research project, we first studied local settings in Kyrgyzstan, Uganda, Greece, and Vietnam. For example, we found that COPD in the highlands of Kyrgyzstan occurred three times more frequently than in the lowlands, partly due to higher levels of kitchen smoke. We discovered the high indirect burden of asthma and COPD, by their impact on work- and daily activities. We also found that many communities and their health workers mistook CRD for infectious disease like tuberculosis. Based on these findings and on implementation literature, we then designed several practical tools addressing critical factors for implementation success of lung health interventions. These evidence-based tools can facilitate implementation success, thereby optimising the use of already scarce resources and benefitting health outcomes. Show less
Physical activity is effective in preventing and treating many of these age-related diseases. However, two thirds of Dutch older adults do not reach the recommended level of physical activity.... Show morePhysical activity is effective in preventing and treating many of these age-related diseases. However, two thirds of Dutch older adults do not reach the recommended level of physical activity. Current efforts to increase physical activity with professional led physical activity interventions are effective during the intervention period, but do not manage to have a sustainable effect. In this thesis we studied the possibility of peer coaching to sustainably increase physical activity in older adults. We do this by studying the effectiveness, implementation and organization of peer coach physical activity intervention. The conclusion of this thesis is that older adults can effectively and sustainably increase physical activity of older adults through peer coach physical activity interventions. After a small investment for implementation, a sustainable self-organising exercise intervention can be created which exist for years. The reach of the groups can be increased through an exercise referral scheme in primary care, but the effectivity needs to be improved through research. Nationwide implementation of exercise groups for older adults is possible, but it requires effort from a large (governmental) party. Show less
Stroke is a relatively common condition with a large impact on patients’ lives. Rehabilitation treatment aims to support patients in coping with the physical, mental, cognitive and social... Show moreStroke is a relatively common condition with a large impact on patients’ lives. Rehabilitation treatment aims to support patients in coping with the physical, mental, cognitive and social consequences of stroke. Recently, there is an increasing interest in the application of digital technologies (eRehabilitation) in healthcare in general, including in stroke rehabilitation. ERehabilitation may include physical and cognitive exercise programs, patient information and education, e-consultations, physical activity tracking and serious gaming, preferably all together in one digital environment.Although there is evidence on the effectiveness and feasibility of eRehabilitation, the uptake of eRehabilitation in specialized stroke rehabilitation facilities has been slow, warranting the need for implementation research. The aim of this thesis was to provide insight in the complex interplay between the effectiveness, the implementation strategy and the context of eRehabilitation after stroke, as delivered in a specialized rehabilitation facility, in order to improve future use of eRehabilitation in specialized stroke rehabilitation facilities. Show less
The aim of this dissertation is to enhance understanding of care use by children known to have or be at risk of complex problems (CP). Children with CP have a greater need for health services than... Show moreThe aim of this dissertation is to enhance understanding of care use by children known to have or be at risk of complex problems (CP). Children with CP have a greater need for health services than the average child because their chronic physical, behavioral or emotional conditions interact and enhance their vulnerability. Worldwide, around 5% of children suffer from complex problems. They typically have high levels of care consumption, especially psychosocial care.In our studies we address factors impacting care use of children with CP, its intensity, and barriers to care. We found several risk factors for identification of these children: child’s age, adverse life events, child’s psychosocial problems, and parenting concerns. We also look at care use of multiproblem families, involving a subgroup of these children with the highest level of CP. Finally, we studied professionals to understand the challenges they meet in organizing care for these children when using Wraparound Care. This care-coordination method is used in the Netherlands as the backbone of treatment for children with CP. Further development of Wraparound Care and greater understanding of the factors impacting care use by children with CP will help to make their pathway to care more efficient and effective. Show less
Pharmacogenomics (PGx) utilizes an individual’s germline genetic profile to identify those who are at higher risk for ADRs or lack of efficacy. This information can be used by healthcare... Show morePharmacogenomics (PGx) utilizes an individual’s germline genetic profile to identify those who are at higher risk for ADRs or lack of efficacy. This information can be used by healthcare professionals (HCPs) to guide dose and drug selection before drug initiation in an effort to optimize drug therapy through precision medicine. Despite both the promise of and the progress in the field of PGx to achieve precision medicine, it is still not routinely applied in patient care. As such, a number of barriers preventing implementation have been identified. These include the undetermined model for delivering PGx, the lack of evidence supporting a PGx panel approach and the lack of tools supporting implementation. Therefore, the work of this thesis aims to support the implementation of precision medicine using PGx panel testing. It reports on generating evidence for PGx panel testing (Part I) and the development of tools facilitating implementation (Part II), evaluates the implementation process utilizing these tools (Part III) and quantifies the impact of PGx implementation on patient outcomes and cost-effectiveness (Part IV). Show less
The aim of this thesis is to investigate the adoption of PGx and the integration of genotype guided dosing in the workflow of physicians and pharmacists in primary care. This thesis is divided into... Show moreThe aim of this thesis is to investigate the adoption of PGx and the integration of genotype guided dosing in the workflow of physicians and pharmacists in primary care. This thesis is divided into five parts. The first part provides an overview of answers to frequently asked questions by clinicians related to the implementation of PGx. The second part of this covers investigates whether genotype guided dosing in primary care is feasible in a pilot study where 200 patients with an incident prescription for a subset of 10 drugs and historical use are genotyped in a panel based approach for 8 pharmacogenes and received genotype guided dosing based on recommendations of the DPWG guidelines and covers an assessment of the clinical impact of PGx in primary care in the Netherlands is provided to predict how many patients that start with a drug currently described in the guidelines of the DPWG require an optimization of therapy. Part III covers the harmonization of PGx-test interpretation and therapeutic recommendations. Part IV investigates the knowledge, experience and attitudes towards PGx among (future) healthcare professionals. The thesis is concluded with a general discussion. Show less
Care for older persons is changing. A new primary health care concept is called ‘person-centred, integrated care’ involving changing roles for General Practitioners (GPs) and other... Show moreCare for older persons is changing. A new primary health care concept is called ‘person-centred, integrated care’ involving changing roles for General Practitioners (GPs) and other professionals. The inclusion of the personal values of the patients in the changing care is essential but vulnerable. This thesis links the process of innovating care and the values of the older persons involved, by studying patient satisfaction as an expression of personal value in two care innovation and implementation projects. Key findings are: The level of patient satisfaction is related to complexity of health problems and is related more to the care organization than to the condition of the patient. Modifiable communicative aspects of GP behavior are related to patient satisfaction. Patients and GPs, show different satisfaction about aspects of care reflecting different values. In a real-life implementation strategy, patient satisfaction and engagement is feasible and valuable. Conclusions are that patient satisfaction can be used in innovating care but must be interpreted with caution. Also older patients need a role in the implementation process in order to assure that their values are expressed in the care innovation. A combination of individual shared decision making, satisfaction investigation and procedural engagement is proposed. Show less
Childhood obesity remains a major public health concern. To successfully address the childhood obesity epidemic, intersectoral community interventions that take into account the multifactorial... Show moreChildhood obesity remains a major public health concern. To successfully address the childhood obesity epidemic, intersectoral community interventions that take into account the multifactorial aetiology of childhood obesity are needed. However, the implementation of such interventions has proved to be difficult and prone to error. This thesis therefore examines the implementation process of five EPODE-derived intersectoral community approaches targeting childhood obesity in the Netherlands. It focuses on both the level of implementation and determinants of implementation. Quantitative as well as qualitative methods are used, next to novel “in-between” methods such as Quantitative Comparative Analysis and Social Network Analysis. Recommendations are provided on how to design strategies to improve the implementation of intersectoral community approaches, and suggestion for future research initiatives are made. Show less
