Client case Health 2014

Client: Community Health Services GGD of South-Limburg

Respondent: Frank Klaassen, director Public Health

Research project: New concept of Health

Form: Network with various GGDs (Community Health Services). In collaboration with: GGD Netherlands. Coordination: GGD of South-Limburg Aim: To elaborate the concept 'Positive Health' for practical use among health and social care professionals. Reason: At present, 96% of the healthcare budget is spent on curative care, and only 4% on prevention. Decentralised health care, which places more emphasis on patient empowerment, should ultimately help to reduce healthcare consumption. The concept of Positive Health fits in. Results: Based on the innovative concept of health, it is a logical step to invest much more in prevention. The GGDs have taken up this challenge and want to promote health, using an integral approach: living, working and learning environments should all contribute to health and well-being. Thanks to the collective expertise and size of the GGDs, the research has gained considerable momentum: their professionals with modern measurement and monitoring systems are seeing many Dutch citizens, every day.

Main reason to choose the Louis Bolk Institute:

"From science, researcher Machteld Huber is initiating a process of societal change. You don't see that often: usually a problem is approached either from a scientific focus, or from a societal focus. The Louis Bolk lnstitute bridges the gap between these two domains."

What is the GGD of South-Limburg's opinion of the Louis Bolk Institute?

Frank Klaassen: "I am particularly impressed with Machteld Huber's thorough and conscientious, step-by-step approach of the problem. She has placed the problem in the middle of society by discussing it with a range of relevant parties: GGDs, the curative healthcare sector and health insurance companies. The groundbreaking character helps to open previously closed doors. "

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