Jany Rademakers' research focuses on health literacy, diversity and participation. She is also involved in the Nivel Expert center on Social vulnerability and inclusion in research. She was member of the steering committee and chair of the working group on patient experiences of the Dutch Alliance for Health Literacy. Furthermore she is professor emeritus Health literacy and patient participation at CAPHRI, Maastricht University.

Towards more customized care
My goal is to contribute to more patient-centered care. I investigate how patients and clients experience the quality of healthcare and what their experiences and needs are. I also look at what skills they need to be able to play an active role in the care process, for example in communicating with their healthcare provider and in self-management. That active role is something that the government wants and most patients often want as well. However, patients are not always able to do so. Our research shows that almost half of the Dutch population has great difficulty taking control of their own healthcare and that three in ten Dutch people have limited health literacy. They find it difficult to find, understand, and apply health information to their own situation. There is a group of people (the elderly, the less educated, those with a migrant background) for whom healthcare would improve if we took more account of their wishes and skills. More research in this area would enable us to tailor healthcare more closely to the patient.