On 2 November 2021, nine professors were simultaneously inaugurated as 'Medical Delta professor' at Leiden University, LUMC, TU Delft, Erasmus University and/or Erasmus MC. With an appointment at at least two of these five academic institutions, they combine technology and healthcare in their professorship.
Sustainability of quality of healthcare system
The sustainability of the healthcare system is under pressure, concluded the Scientific Council for Government Policy in a recently published report (in Dutch). Dutch people use ever more, and more expensive healthcare. If this trend continues, in forty years' time healthcare will cost almost three times as much as today. And to be able to continue to provide this care, one in three people will have to work in healthcare, compared to one in seven today.
'Technological solutions can remove part of the burden of healthcare and improve the quality of care,' says Professor Frank Willem Jansen, Chairman of Medical Delta. 'But this can only be done when there is good cooperation between scientific disciplines, and between research and healthcare practice. The nine Medical Delta professors who were officially installed, prof. dr. Marco van Vulpen, dr. Andrea Evers, prof. dr. Wouter Serdijn, prof. dr. Natasja de Groot, prof. dr. Jaap Harlaar, prof. dr. Marcel Reinders, prof. dr. Mischa Hoogeman, prof. dr. Gerjo van Osch, prof. dr. Andrew Webb and prof. dr. Frank Willem Jansen, show that this is feasible. Whether it concerns prevention, making the right diagnosis at an earlier stage, combating common diseases such as arthritis or cancer, or improving the general health of the population - technology can play an important role if the doctor and engineer understand each other well and work closely together.'
Interdisciplinary research
Since its foundation in 2006, Medical Delta has appointed professors as 'Medical Delta professor' three times. With their appointment at Medical Delta, the professors received two or more assignments at the five affiliated academic institutions and take part in the Scientific Council of the partnership. There are 22 Medical Delta professors in total. As a Medical Delta professor, they conduct interdisciplinary research on the intersection of technology and healthcare, and they are ambassadors for cooperation in the field of medical technology.
Medical Delta is a collaboration between TU Delft, Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Rotterdam, LUMC, Leiden University and four Universities of Applied Science. The organisation aims to find technical solutions for sustainable healthcare.
