Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical tachyarrhythmia associated with significant morbidity and mortality and is expected to affect approximately 30 million North Americans and Europeans by 2050. AF is a persistent disease, caused by progressive, often age-related, derailment of proteostasis …

The aim of this research was to study the clinical characteristics and mortality and disability outcomes of patients who present distinct risk profiles for functional decline at admission. A multicenter, prospective cohort study was conducted between 2006 and 2009 in three hospitals in the Netherlands …

Thirty to sixty per cent of older patients experience functional decline after hospitalisation, associated with an increase in dependence, readmission, nursing home placement and mortality. First step in prevention is the identification of patients at risk. The objective of this study is to develop and …

Objectives Patients who underwent corrective surgery for tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) have increased long-term risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Yet, limited information is available on how to evaluate the risk in this population. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic …

Natural burial grounds represent a new burial provision in the Netherlands. We use Bergerbos natural burial ground to examine how the concept of natural burial grounds is interpreted, as well as the people who have chosen burial at Bergerbos. We found that an important aim of Bergerbos it to provide …

The objective was to study the prevalence of eighteen geriatric conditions in older patients at admission, their reporting rate in discharge summaries and the impact of these conditions on mortality and functional decline one year after admission. A prospective multicenter cohort study conducted between …

Promotion of a healthy pregnancy is a top priority of the health care policy in many European countries. Perinatal mortality is an important indicator of the success of this policy. Recently, it was shown that the Netherlands has relatively high perinatal death rates when compared to other European countries. …

In dit onderzoek staat de onderzoeksvraag centraal: is het mogelijk tot een consensus-based document te komen voor dramatherapie met angststoornissen? Dit onderzoek is een vervolg op een ontwikkelingsonderzoek uit 2005 waarin ik het fasenmodel van Emunah aanbeveel voor dramatherapie bij angststoornissen. …

To reduce unintentional and avoidable adverse events in patients in hospitals in the Netherlands, a patient safety agency (VMS) programme was launched in 2008. Among the VMS topics, the programme optimal therapy in severe sepsis, according to the international Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC), aims to …

The consequences of cardiovascular diseases are substantial and include increasing numbers of morbidity and mortality. With a population getting more and more inactive and having a sedentary lifestyle, the risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes rises. This dissertation reports on people …