Working Visit of the Dutch House of Representatives' VWS Committee to TU Delft
Effectively implementing healthcare technology requires a systemic perspective
On Monday, November 25, the House of Representatives' Health, Welfare, and Sport (VWS) Committee visited TU Delft to discuss the challenges and opportunities in healthcare. The key message: healthcare is under immense pressure and demands action, but the success of innovations does not lie in quick technological fixes. A systemic approach is essential.
During the meeting, members of parliament Folkert Thiadens (PVV), Julian Bushoff (GroenLinks-PvdA), Judith Tielen (VVD), Mariska Rikkers-Oosterkamp (BBB), and VWS committee staff were briefed on Delft's research into pressing healthcare issues such as staff shortages, rising costs, remote monitoring, and making healthcare work more attractive.
Overcoming fragmentation through integrated collaboration
During the visit, Delft researchers emphasized that knowledge and expertise are currently fragmented, and technological innovations are often implemented without coherence. TU Delft advocates for a systemic perspective on healthcare transitions, where technology is not an end in itself but plays a supporting role. Innovations should not focus solely on technology but also on structural improvements in organization, financing, and execution.
Technology as a link in a broader system
Systems scientist and emergency physician Irene Grossmann highlighted the need to look beyond the healthcare sector alone. Solutions must emerge from collaboration among healthcare providers, scientists, innovation experts, and by drawing knowledge and expertise from other domains. Only through an integrated approach can technology be sustainably and safely embedded in the healthcare system.
Professor Maaike Kleinsmann (TU Delft and LUMC) demonstrated how regional care pathways, supported by Remote Patient Management (RPM) platforms, can operate more efficiently and make healthcare future-proof. She advocated for value-driven care, where financial incentives focus on outcomes and patient satisfaction rather than the number of treatments.
Delft professor David Abbink (FRAIM), together with Monique van Dijk, Professor of Nursing Science (Erasmus MC), and Iris Wallenberg, Professor of Sociology of Care (Erasmus University Rotterdam), showcased how their transdisciplinary approach can enable practical innovation in nursing work in the future. They believe in innovation developed correctly, involving researchers and practical experts from various domains collaborating with and for nurses, who also have a say and decision-making power. Robotics should serve to make work more appealing. "We’re not here for a quick tech fix," the three experts emphasized.
Practical examples and innovation in action
The MPs were shown tangible examples of healthcare technology, including an advanced surgical robot developed by TU Delft and Erasmus MC. Plastic surgeon Dalibor Vasilic and Delft researcher Chirag Raman demonstrated how this robot integrates MRI images, stores surgical knowledge, and trains future surgeons.
Additionally, TU Delft’s Dream Teams, Epoch and Project March, presented the latest developments in AI for healthcare and the exoskeleton. Professor Catholijn Jonker provided insights into the possibilities and limitations of AI in healthcare. Her research focuses on developing intelligent systems that collaborate with humans in ways that respect and support human behavior and preferences.
Valuable insights for a future-proof healthcare system
The program offered Members of Parliament a comprehensive perspective on the challenges and opportunities in healthcare innovation. In addition to technological possibilities, organizational and societal factors were prominently discussed, such as the necessity for a new funding system, adjustments in laws and regulations, investments, and the freedom to experiment.
The meeting provided valuable tools to further consider the systemic changes needed to make healthcare sustainable, affordable, and human-centered. How these recommendations will be implemented remains to be seen, but the working visit represented an inspiring step in the right direction.