Prior to implementing the hospital standardised mortality ratio (HSMR) for hospital comparisons and improvement of quality of care, some adaptations need to be made. HSMR is a promising instrument, however, the current measurement is too distorted by factors other than quality of care. This conclusion was drawn by Wim van den Bosch in his thesis defended on November 2 2011 at the VUmc in Amsterdam, based on a study at Santeon and supervised at NIVEL.

IQ healthcare, NIVEL and iBMG are joining forces on research into the quality of Dutch healthcare.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection leads to hospitalization of 2,500 infants a year in the Netherlands. The virus causes influenza-like symptoms. A NIVEL study, on which Tamara Meerhoff defended her thesis at VU University Amsterdam, found that RSV peaks around Christmas when the weather is cold and wet.
 

Health care policy-makers in European countries face a number of major challenges, including the ageing of the population and the economic sustainability of health care systems. A recently launched policy brief provides an overview of main directions for future research that can assist in making evidence-informed policy decisions.