The goal of this programme is to enhance the quality of the care provided by allied health professions, in order to help improve patient care and the health of patients. The allied health professions concerned are: dieticians, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, skin therapists, speech and language therapists and exercise therapists.
There are two parts to the programme:
In the runup to the launch of the research programme, the professional associations concerned developed knowledge agendas (are only published in Dutch). These agendas make it clear which research topics healthcare professionals, patients and other stakeholders regard as important. The knowledge agendas describe what knowledge is already available, and what is needed, thus providing a guide for scientific research.
The research results will provide new knowledge that can help answer knowledge questions, either in part or in full. The results will benefit allied health professionals, patients and potentially also other primary healthcare providers such as Genereal Practitioners (GPs). They will also contribute to the Right Care in the Right Place (Juiste Zorg op de Juiste Plek) initiative, which aims to avoid more expensive care, organise care around people, and use smart care and eHealth. The key is how people function. Allied health professions can make a major contribution to achieving these goals.