In today’s clinical decision-making, there is an ever increasing amount of numerical evidence available, e.g., RCT-derived evidence, prognostic model predictions, Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs). Expectations are high as to providing patients with this numerical evidence (i.e. risk communication), towards outcomes-oriented healthcare (Passende Zorg*). However, such numbers mostly don’t mean anything to patients, but remain just that: numbers. Numbers need to be translated into meaningful information to be useful for Shared Decision Making (SDM). This risk communication for SDM is challenging, especially when patients face emotional distress or have lower numeracy.  

My research program at the department of Public and Occupational Health pursues innovation in risk communication for SDM. Unique to my approach is that I use interdisciplinary methods at the intersection of health services research, psychology and Human-centered design (HCD). 

My research is embedded within the section Quality and Organization of Care (QOC); Department of Public and Occupational Health. QOC is a multidisciplinary section that aims to improve the quality and organization of public, curative, and palliative health care for citizens, patients and health care professionals, organizations and health care systems by performing research and translating scientific knowledge into practice, policy and education.

Within this section, my research falls within RISC Amsterdam: In the RISC expert centre, we perform interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research on health risk communication and individual and shared decision making, and integrate scientific knowledge with policy and practice. We work closely with The National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM)