Cardiovascular technical research agenda works toward future care

4TU.Health and the partners of the Dutch Cardiovascular Alliance (DCVA) have joined forces to create a cardiovascular technical research agenda together. We spoke with the project coordinator from 4TU.Health, Noortje Bax, about the ambition of this agenda.

What do you want to achieve with this agenda?

With this agenda we want to create an overview of promising innovations for research and innovation at the intersection of biomedical technical possibilities and cardiovascular care. Once this overview is well mapped, the next step is to better align these innovations with the needs from clinical practice of physicians, nurses and patients, among others.

Why is the agenda needed?

Even though there already is a lot of collaboration between academic hospitals and technical universities, an overview has not yet been created of the role that biomedical technological developments can play in solving the challenges that cardiovascular care faces on a daily basis. In particular, keeping care humanized and affordable without compromising on quality. These are huge challenges not only in cardiovascular care, but also within other healthcare domains.

 What will the approach be?

We will take stock of which new and existing biomedical technological developments and innovations can help in the earlier recognition, detection and treatment of diseases of the heart and vessels. We will also look at what innovations can ensure that people with chronic heart failure can better participate in society. Our goal is that the outcomes of the agenda will help achieve DCVA's mission to reduce the burden of disease from cardiovascular disease by a quarter by 2030.

What is the strength of the agenda?

That it is a collaborative project with as many different players as possible, all of whom want to make a difference for patients with cardiovascular disease. In addition to the four TUs, key partners of the DCVA are involved, including top clinical centers, professional associations, patient organizations, NWO and ZonMW.

Noortje Bax - 4TU.Health

Some of those involved in the project have a duo appointment, for example at a TU hospital or TU-MedTech company, allowing them to combine multiple visions. Each partner brings its own strengths and network, which ensures that we do not miss any relevant biomedical technologies and that there are no blind spots.

What else is needed?

To properly deploy innovations, acceptance is needed at all levels. Not only in the workplace where technology becomes part of the daily routine, but also in terms of adapting the healthcare system.

What is the added value of 4TU.Health as a partner in this?

The ambition of the DCVA is to reduce the disease burden of cardiovascular disease by 25% in 2030, by recognizing disease earlier and translating excellent science quickly into health improvements. In this, technological developments play an important role. For that reason, 4TU.Health is a logical partner to realize the cardiovascular technical agenda with.

When will you be satisfied?

When the cardiovascular technical agenda has been realized and can be shared with all stakeholders and when they take the steps to convert the insights from this agenda into actions. We also hope to provide direction for additional and targeted investments for new research collaborations and thus also close the gaps between technology and practice.

Working together and creating synergy between technology and biomedical sciences can truly make a difference in healthcare for both patients and care staff. The cardiovascular technical agenda is the perfect example of collaboration and therefore of great significance for the cardiovascular care of the future!