Next week, on the 28th of January, we kick off the second edition of the ICT&health World Conference,. A three-day international event bringing together many thousands, policymakers, administrators, healthcare professionals, IT experts, programme managers, investors, visionaries and innovators from home and abroad. This year, the ICT&health Awards will be presented for the first time, in five categories. In the past three months, more than 200 nominations poured in for this purpose. After careful consideration, our editors have selected 15 nominees. Here they are, in random order, by category!
Innovator of the Year
In the Innovator of the Year category, for the most pioneering healthcare innovation that pushes existing boundaries, the nominees are:
- Hologram Alicia. As the first pharmacy in the Netherlands, customers have been welcomed at Stroomz Strijp in Eindhoven by digital assistant ‘Alicia’ since July.
- Thubble; virtual assistant for GGZ. With its on-demand treatment model, Thubble aims to offer a concrete approach to renew mental health care from within. The model combines value-driven care with technological innovati
- Sensire. Elderly and home care organisation Sensire provides district nursing, care and living and offers (highly) complex care through a large number of specialised services. With Maarten van Rixtel, Sensire was one of the first to realise the undeniable role of technology in care.
Best Collaboration in Healthcare
The three nominees in the Best Collaboration in Care category, for the collaboration that makes the biggest impact and shows that the power of care transformation lies in shared knowledge and effort:
- HAN, The Simulation Crew and a conglomerate of mental health institutions. A fine example of interdisciplinary collaboration. They have joined forces to explore the opportunities of Virtual Reality in the GGZ.
- Anders Werken in de Zorg (AWIZ). Now grown into a national movement for and by the healthcare sector, based on the power of regional cooperation. The aim of the movement is to continue to provide good care for a growing group of elderly people with less time and effort.
- Philips, Medtronic and WSO. The three parties have been jointly committed to improving stroke care since the end of 2023 and have further expanded that collaboration in 2024. The aim of the collaboration is to improve access to timely diagnosis and treatment of stroke worldwide.
Excellence in Patient-Centered Care
Nominated in the Excellence in Patient-centred Care category, for initiatives that truly put the patient at the centre and deliver care that meets their needs and expectations, are:
- VanThuisUit. With the new care concept VanThuisUit, VVT organisation tanteLouise trains frail elderly people in independence and self-reliance. The aim is to enable them to live at home for longer, thus postponing or even making admission to a nursing home unnecessary. In this way, sufficient capacity and care professionals will remain available in the future for people who need high-quality care the most.
- Co-design in care technology development. Sandra Suijkerbuijk obtained her PhD in September 2024 on research into the possibility of participation of people with dementia in designing technology. Even for people with dementia, it makes sense to involve the intended users of care and social technology - already in the early stages of development.
- Digital Care Helpdesk Foundation. While it's nice that the majority of the Dutch are digitally proficient and even lead the way internationally, there are still millions of people with dementia who are not yet digitally proficient. Yet there are still millions of people with limited digital skills or who experience computer problems, and they obviously need help. That is the aim of the Digital Care Helpdesk Foundation, an initiative for anyone with questions about a Personal Health Environment (PBL) or other e-health applications. The Digital Care Helpdesk collaborates with other organisations as much as possible.
Sustainability in Care Innovation
The nominees in the Sustainability in Care Innovation category, for the innovation that integrates sustainability into care processes, which is essential to future-proof care.
- NWZ and Coöperatie VGZ. Healthcare is one of the biggest polluters in the Netherlands, accounting for seven per cent of CO2 emissions in the Netherlancds. Besides digitalisation, sustainability will therefore be high on the agenda in the coming years. NWZ and VGZ work together in sustainability, exchange experiences and learn from each other.
- Erasmus MC. When it comes to reducing CO2 emissions, alternative forms of energy, reducing mileage and so on quickly spring to mind. Within healthcare, however, Erasmus MC has investigated that much ‘CO2 gain’ can also be achieved by dosing and using medication better and more efficiently.
- AxionContinu. Specialising in geriatric rehabilitation care, home care and nursing home care, AxionContinu attaches great importance to sustainability, initially mainly by building and renovating as sustainably as possible, but nowadays also by trying to build as few square metres as possible. The organisation's CO2 emissions have been falling for years. By 2035, AxionContinu wants to be a leader in sustainable care.
Leadership in Healthcare
Finally, the three nominees in the Leadership in Healthcare category, for the leader who contributes to the transformation of the healthcare sector with vision and decisiveness.
- Bianca Rouwenhorst (VWS). She plays an important role within the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS). She actively works on policies and strategies that contribute to digitalisation and innovation in the healthcare sector. Her knowledge and commitment directly influence the future of healthcare in the Netherlands. Bianca has a keen eye for the potential of technology to improve care processes and ease the workload of healthcare professionals. Her leadership encourages cooperation between healthcare organisations, technology companies and policymakers. As a driving force within VWS, Bianca brings policymakers and innovators together, which is essential to realise care transformation at scale.
- Daan Dohmen. Entrepreneur and scientist, focused on digital innovations from a young age. Because he saw that, among other things, technology helps older people stay more in control of their lives. From this passion, he founded several companies, including FocusCura and Luscii. He employs a leadership style inspired by Special Forces principles where he emphasises individual responsibility, equality and mutual trust within his teams.
- Rebecca Love. The first Director of Nurse Innovation & Entrepreneurship in the US at Northeastern School of Nursing, an initiative to empower nurses through collaboration with innovators and entrepreneurs. With her pioneering spirit, Rebecca was the inaugural director of Nurse Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Northeastern School of Nursing in the US. Her pioneering initiative enabled nurses to embrace their role as innovators and entrepreneurs, leading to transformative changes within the nursing profession.
Awards ceremony
It’s the first time our conference is also hosting the ICT&health Awards. The festive ceremony will be on Thursday 30 January, starting at 15h50. The Awards will be presented by none other than the chairman of our editorial board, Prof. Dr. Diederik Gommers, and Lucien Engelen, visionary in the field of healthgcare transformation and CEO of Transform Health.
