Academisch Proefschrift, ter verkrijging van de graad Doctor aan de Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, op gezag van de rector magnificus prof. dr. J.J.G. Geurts, volgens besluit van de decaan van de Faculteit der Bètawetenschappen in het openbaar te verdedigen op donderdag 19 februari 2026 om 11.45 uur in …

Background: In the Netherlands, primary care dietitians are the preferred health care professionals for weight management in patients living with overweight and obesity. A clinically relevant weight loss of ≥5% is associated with positive health outcomes. However, a significant proportion of patients …

In this thesis, we focus on developing behaviours for socially interactive agents (SIAs). The context in which the agent is used is a self-regulated learning system for children. We focus on personalising learning objectives and interaction content within an intelligent tutoring system (ITS). We envision …

The global incidence of chronic diseases is rising, posing substantial social and economic challenges. These conditions necessitate effective long-term self-care, which can be supported by digital interventions using remote measurement technologies, like smartphones and wearables. This systematic review …

This study investigated the implementation of mHealth apps in an early stage of the implementation process. Key stakeholders were involved, who attributed to the possibilities and limitations of the implementation. It is crucial to have a clear vision from an organizational perspective and specific prerequisites …

Studies on care networks of home-dwelling older adults often focus on network composition. However, looking at network mechanisms (negotiation, navigation and contagion) can be helpful to improve the support generated by the care network. A European study on diabetes patients identifed network types …

Background: A hospital group is an organizational integration strategy that has recently been widely implemented in Chinese urban health systems to promote integrated care. This study aims to evaluate the effect of hospital group on integrated care from the perspectives of both patients and care professionals. …

Het soort functionarissen dat in de huisartsenpraktijk emplooi vindt neemt nog steeds toe. Dat is het gevolg van nieuwe zorgvisies -en modellen, veranderende zorgbehoeften en aanpassingen op de ideeën en verwachtingen die de burger, en daarmee de politiek, heeft van wat de eerstelijnszorg zou moeten …

Background A healthy lifestyle is indispensable for the prevention of noncommunicable diseases. However, lifestyle medicine is hampered by time constraints and competing priorities of treating physicians. A dedicated lifestyle front office (LFO) in secondary/tertiary care may provide an important contribution …

This study provides an in-depth understanding of the perceptions of patients with T2DM before use (acceptability) and after use (acceptance) regarding 4 different mobile health apps for diabetes control and self-management. This study was part of the TOPFIT Citizenlab project. TOPFIT Citizenlab is a …