ZonMw Grant Awarded to Support Appropriate Care
September 7, 2025 | 1 min read
Prof. Dr. Lijckle van der Laan (Professor of Appropriate Care at TIAS, lecturer in the Executive Master of Health Administration, and vascular surgeon at Amphia) and Dr. Miriam Faes (geriatrician at Amphia) have been awarded a grant of more than one million euros through the ZonMw Medical Specialist Care and Research (MedZO) program.
The aim of this grant is to conduct scientific research into patient-relevant outcomes and to develop alternative funding models for innovative treatments that can be implemented nationally.
This project focuses on improving the treatment of older patients with severe peripheral arterial disease. This group makes frequent use of healthcare services, and necessary treatments such as bypass surgery or angioplasty are often expensive. These patients are typically of advanced age, vulnerable, and living with multiple other conditions.
Due to these complex factors, current treatment is associated with a high risk of mortality, serious complications, extended hospital stays, rehabilitation in nursing homes, and reduced quality of life. In short, the existing approach results in high healthcare costs and a heavy burden on healthcare professionals.
With this grant, the researchers will investigate whether the use of a prehabilitation program for this specific patient group can lead to better outcomes.
The research team has extensive experience with a multidisciplinary prehabilitation program, tailored as much as possible to individual needs. Each patient meets with a vascular surgery nurse specialist and a physiotherapist. Based on specific needs, patients may also be referred to other components of the program, such as a geriatrician, dietitian, smoking cessation coach, or home care nurse. This personalized approach aligns closely with the aim of delivering appropriate care.
The study will examine whether this innovative prehabilitation program for severe peripheral arterial disease improves patient outcomes and quality of life, while also reducing healthcare costs and staffing needs. A randomized controlled trial will be conducted, with specific attention to the experiences and burdens of both patients and informal caregivers.
A cost-effectiveness analysis will be carried out in collaboration with Dr. Wilbert van den Hout (Medical Decision Making, LUMC) and Prof. Dr. Ewout Steyerberg (Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, UMC Utrecht).
The study will take place in three hospitals: Amphia, Elisabeth-TweeSteden Hospital (Prof. Dr. Patrick Vriens), and Meander Medical Center (Dr. Hidde Jongsma). Seline Verbaan has been appointed as a full-time PhD student for this project. She is part of the Appropriate Care research group at TIAS School for Business and Society and Amphia.
The insights from this project are not only essential for developing future-proof healthcare, but also offer valuable input for education and knowledge exchange. Within the Executive Master of Health Administration (MHA) at TIAS, these topics, including appropriate care, implementation strategies, and the role of value-based healthcare, are central. Prof. Dr. Lijckle van der Laan discusses these issues extensively in his teaching, where science, policy, and practice come together.
📸 Photo: Amphia | Photographer: Niek Geurts