Willemijn Schäfer, PhD
Senior researcher Organisation and Quality of Care
Research
As postdoc researcher, I am engaged in positioning Nivel as a partner in internationalresearch and in research exchange. The exchange of organizational models of care can contribute to the improvement of quality and safety of patient care. I am involved in international health services research projects from conceptualization to dissemination. Key focus is to generate reliable and useful research results and useful partnerships between scientific researchers, healthcare providers and patients.
Publications
- 2022|Geit, E. de, Schäfer, W., Tuyl, L. van, Batenburg, R. Inzicht in de rol en positie van doktersassistenten in Nederland in 2022: visie van werkgevers en leidinggevenden in huisartsenpraktijken, ziekenhuizen en klinieken. Utrecht: Nivel, 2022.
- 2022|Tuyl, L. van, Zinger, N., Schäfer, W. Borging van diversiteit in sekse, gender en seksuele oriëntatie in de zorg: een verkenning onder beroepsverenigingen in de eerste lijn. Utrecht: Nivel, 2022.
- 2022|Groenewegen, P., Boerma, W.G.W., Spreeuwenberg, P., Seifert, B., Schäfer, W., Batenburg, R., Tuyl, L. van. Task shifting from general practitioners to practice assistants and nurses in primary care: a cross-sectional survey in 34 countries. Primary Health Care Research and Development: 2022, 23, Art. e60
- 2021|Stobbe, E.J., Groenewegen, P.P., Schäfer, W. Job satisfaction of general practitioners: a cross-sectional survey in 34 countries. Human Resources for Health: 2021, 19(1), Art. nr. 57
- 2020|Groenewegen, P., Schäfer, W., Schellevis, F., Boerma, W. Kernwaarden van Nederlandse huisartsen in internationaal perspectief. Huisarts en Wetenschap: 2020(juni), 11
- 2020|Schäfer, W.L.A., Berg, M.J. van den, Groenewegen, P.P. The association between the workload of general practitioners and patient experiences with care: results of a cross-sectional study in 33 countries. Human Resources for Health: 2020, 18(76)
- 2020|Husin, M., Rahman, N.A., Wong, X.C., Mohamad Noh, K., Tong, S.F., Schäfer, W., Boerma, W., Atun, R., Sivasampu, S. Recruitment and participation of a survey in a public-private primary care setting: experience from the QUALICOPC Malaysia. Primary Health Care Research and Development: 2020, 21, Art. nr. e51
- 2020|Scaioli, G., Schäfer, W.L.A., Boerma, W.G.W., Spreeuwenberg, P.M.M., Schellevis, F., Groenewegen, P.P. Communication between general practitioners and medical specialists in the referral process: a Cross-sectional survey in 34 countries. BMC Family Practice: 2020, 21(54), 9 p.
- 2019|Scaioli, G., Schäfer, W.L.A., Boerma, W.G.W., Spreeuwenberg, P., Berg, M. van den, Schellevis, F.G., Groenewegen, P.P. Patients' perception of communication at the interface between primary and secondary care: a cross-sectional survey in 34 countries. BMC Health Services Research: 2019, 19(1018)
- 2019|Schäfer, W.L.A., Boerma, W.G.W., Berg, M.J. van den, Maeseneer, J. de, Rosis, S. de, Detollenaere, J., Greß, S., Heinemann, S., Loenen, T. van, Murante, A.M., Pavlic, D.R., Seghieri, C., Vainieri, M., Willems, S., Groenewegen, P.P. Are people’s health care needs better met when primary care is strong? A synthesis of the results of the QUALICOPC study in 34 countries. Primary Health Care Research and Development: 2019, 20
- 2019|Põlluste, K., Kosunen, E., Koskela, T., Mattila, K.J., Schäfer, W.L.A., Boerma, W.G.W., Lember, M. Primary health care in transition: variations in service profiles of general practitioners in Estonia and in Finland between 1993 and 2012. Health Policy: 2019, 123(1), 37-44
- 2018|Kroezen, M., Schäfer, W., Sermeus, W., Hansen, J., Batenburg, R. Healthcare assistants in EU Member States: an overview. European Journal of Public Health: 2018, 28(supl. 4) . Abstracts: 11 th European Public Health conference: Winds of change: towards new ways of improving public health in Europe, Ljubljana, Slovenia 28 November –1 December 2018.
- 2018|Vermeulen, L., Schäfer, W., Pavlic, D.R., Groenewegen, P.P. Community orientation of general practitioners in 34 countries. Health Policy: 2018, 122(10), 1070-1077
- 2018|Kroezen, M., Schäfer, W., Sermeus, W., Hansen, J., Batenburg, R. Healthcare assistants in EU member states: an overview. Health Policy: 2018, 122(10), 1109-1117
- 2018|Bonciani, M., Schäfer, W., Barsanti, S., Heinemann, S., Groenewegen, P.P. The benefits of co-location in primary care practices: the perspectives of generla practitioners. and patiens in 34 countries. BMC Health Services Research: 2018, 18(132)
- 2018|Schäfer, W.L.A., Boerma, W.G.W., Schellevis, F.G., Groenewegen, P.P. GP Practices as a one-stop shop: how do patients perceive the quality of care? A cross-sectional study in thirty-four countries. Health Services Research: 2018, 53(4), 2047-2063
- 2017|Oleszczyk, M., Krzton-Krolewiecka, A., Schäfer, W.L.A., Boerma, W.G.W., Windak, A. Experiences of adult patients using primary care services in Poland – a cross-sectional study in QUALICOPC study framework. BMC Family Practice: 2017, 18(1), 93
- 2017|Murante, A.M., Seghieri, C., Vainieri, M., Schäfer, W.L.A. Patient-perceived responsiveness of primary care systems across Europe and the relationship with the health expenditure and remuneration systems of primary care doctors. Social Science & Medicine: 2017, 186, 139-147
- 2017|Lionis, C., Papadakis, S., Tatsi, C., Bertsias, A., Duijker, G., Mekouris, P.B., Boerma, W., Schäfer, W. Informing primary care reform in Greece: patient expectations and experiences (the QUALICOPC study). BMC Health Services Research: 2017, 17(1), 255
- 2017|Akman, M., Sakarya, S., Sargin, M., Ünlüoğlu, I., Taşkın Eğici, M., Boerma, W.G.W., Schäfer, W.L.A. Changes in primary care provision in Turkey: a comparison of 1993 and 2012. Health Policy: 2017, 121(2), 197-206
- 2016|Pullicino, G., Sciortino, P., Camilleri, L., Schäfer, W., Boerma, W. The influence of patient characteristics on healthcare-seeking behavior: a multilevel analysis of 70 primary care practices in urban-suburban regions in Malta. Quality in Primary Care: 2016, 24(3), 106-110
- 2016|Schäfer, W., Korevaar, J., Batenburg, R. Definities en condities van telefonische bereikbaarheid: een onderzoek naar variatie en verbeterpunten op basis van 100 huisartspraktijken. www.nivel.nl: NIVEL, 2016.
- 2016|Schäfer, W.L.A., Berg, M.J. van den, Boerma, W.G.W., Schellevis, F.G., Groenewegen, P.P. Taakprofielen van huisartsen in Nederland en Europa. Huisarts en Wetenschap: 2016, 59(7), 286-291
- 2016|Groenewegen, P.P., Greß, S., Schäfer, W. General practitioners’ participation in a large, multicountry combined general practitioner-patient survey: recruitment procedures and participation rate. International Journal of Family Medicine: 2016(ID 4929432), 9
- 2016|Sirdifield, C., Caballero, A.G., Windle, K., Jackson, C., McKay, S., Schäfer, W., Siriwardena, A.N. Comparing importance and performance from a patient perspective in English general practice: a cross-sectional survey. Family Practice: 2016, 33(2)
- 2016|Schäfer, W.L.A., Berg, M.J. van den, Groenewegen, P.P. De werkbelasting van huisartsen in internationaal perspectief. Huisarts en Wetenschap: 2016, 59(3), 94-101
- 2016|Schäfer, W., Groenewegen, P., Berg, M. van den. De werkbelasting van huisartsen: Nederland in internationaal perspectief. Utrecht: NIVEL, 2016.
- 2016|Schäfer, W.L.A., Boerma, W.G.W., Spreeuwenberg, P., Schellevis, F.G., Groenewegen, P.P. Two decades of change in European general practice service profiles: conditions explaining the developments in 28 countries between 1993 and 2012. Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care: 2016, 34(1), 97-110
- 2015|Hoffmann, K., George, A., Dorner, T.E., Süß, K., Schäfer, W.L.A., Maier, M. Primary health care teams put to the test a cross-sectional study from Austria within the QUALICOPC project. BMC Family Practice: 2015, 16(168)
- 2015|Groenewegen, P., Heinemann, S., Greß, S., Schäfer, W. Primary care practice composition in 34 countries. Health Policy: 2015, 119(12), 1576-1583
- 2015|Hoffmann, K., Wojczewski, S., George, A., Schäfer, W., Maier, M. Stressed and overworked? A cross-sectional study of the working situation of urban and rural general practitioners in Austria in the framework of the QUALICOPC project. Croatian Medical Journal: 2015, 56(4), 366-374
- 2015|Pullicino, G., Sciortino, P., Calleja, N., Schäfer, W., Boerma, W., Groenewegen, P. Comparison of patients’ experiences in public and private primary care clinics in Malta. European Journal of Public Health: 2015, 25(3), 399-401
- 2015|Schäfer, W.L.A., Boerma, W.G.W., Murante, A.M., Sixma, H.J.M., Schellevis, F.G., Groenewegen, P.P. Assessing the potential for improvement of primary care in 34 countries: a cross-sectional survey. Bulletin of the World Health Organization: 2015, 93(1), 161-168
- 2014|Groenewegen, P., Heinemann, S., Gress, S., Schäfer, W. Primary care workforce development in Europe. European Journal of Public Health: 2014, 24(suppl. 2) . Abstract: 7th European Public Health Conference 'Mind the Gap: Reducing Inequalities in health and health care'. 19-22 November 2014, Glasgow.
- 2013|Greß, S., Heinemann, S., Schäfer, W. Reform auf Realitätskurs: Niederlande. Gesundheit und Gesellschaft: 2013, 16(4), 33-37
- 2013|Schäfer, W.L.A., Boerma, W.G.W., Kringos, D.S., Ryck, E. de, Greß, S., Heinemann, S., Murante, A.M., Rotar-Pavlic, D., Schellevis, F.G., Seghieri, C., Berg, M.J. van den, Westert, G.P., Willems, S., Groenewegen, P.P. Measures of quality, costs and equity in primary health care: instruments developed to analyse and compare primary care in 35 countries. Quality in Primary Care: 2013, 21(2), 67-79
- 2013|Jong, J. de, Schäfer, W. The problem: high burden on the health system? European Journal of Public Health: 2013, 23(Suppl. 1) 88. Abstract. 6th European Public Health Conference: Health in Europe: are we there yet? Learning from the past, building the future. 13-16 November 2013, Brussel.
- 2013|Hoffmann, K., Schober, J., Schäfer, W., Maier, M. Tackling the reasons for GP shortage: the workload of GPs in rural and urban areas in Austria. A cross-sectional study within the framework of QUALICOPC. European Journal of Public Health: 2013, 23(Suppl. 1) 126. Abstract. 6th European Public Health Conference: Health in Europe: are we there yet? Learning from the past, building the future. 13-16 November 2013, Brussel.ls.
- 2013|Schäfer, W.L.A., Boerma, W.G.W., Schellevis, F.G., Groenewegen, P.P. Discrepancies between what patients’ find important and their actual experiences. European Journal of Public Health: 2013, 23(Suppl. 1) 69-70. Abstract. 6th European Public Health Conference: Health in Europe: are we there yet? Learning from the past, building the future. 13-16 November 2013, Brussel.
- 2012|Rurik, I., Boerma, W.G.W., Kolozsvári, L.R., Lánczi, L.I., Mester, L., Móczár, C., Schäfer, W.L.A., Schmidt, P., Torzsa, P., Végh, M., Groenewegen, P.P. QUALICOPC: az alapellátás minőségének, költségének és méltányosságának vizsgálata Európa országaiban: magyarországi ág = QUALICOPC: primary care study on quality, costs and equity in European countries: the Hungarian branch. Orvosi Hetilap: 2012, 153(35), 1396-1400
- 2012|Seifert, B., Šrámková, N, Král, N., Schäfer, W., Boerma, W., Groenewegen, P. Studie QUALICOPC – porovnání rozvoje primární péče v 31 evropských zemích. Praktický Lékař: 2012, 92(4), 235-237
- 2012|Akman, M., Kalaça, S., Sargin, M., Tuncel, B., Ünlüoğlu, I., Uğurlu, M., Schäfer, W.L.A., Boerma, W.G.W., Groenewegen, P.P. QUALICOPC: Birinci basamak sağlik hizmetlerini kalite, maliyet ve aşitlik açisindan değerlendiren çok ülkeli bir çalişma* = QUALICOPC: a multi-country study evaluating quality, costs and equity in primary care. Türkiye Aile Hekimliği Dergisi: 2012, 16(2), 68-71
- 2012|Schäfer, W.L.A., Boerma, W.G.W., Schellevis, F.G., Groenewegen, P.P. Patient evaluations of primary care. European Journal of Public Health: 2012, 22(suppl. 2) 48-49. Abstract. 5th European Public Health Conference 'All inclusive public health'. 7-10 November 2012, St. Julians (Malta).
- 2011|Salchev, P., Schäfer, W., Boerma, W., Groenewegen, P. QUALICOPC, a multi-country study evaluating quality, costs and equity in primary care. Bulgarian Journal of Public Health: 2011, 3(1-2), 93-97
- 2011|Schäfer, W.L.A., Boerma, W.G.W., Kringos, D.S., Maeseneer, J. de, Gress, S., Heinemann, S., Rotar-Pavlic, D., Seghieri, C., Svab, I., Berg, M.J. van den, Vainieri, M., Westert, G.P., Willems, S., Groenewegen, P.P. QUALICOPC, a multi-country study evaluating quality, costs and equity in primary care. BMC Family Practice: 2011, 12(115)
- 2011|Groenewegen, P.P., Busse, R., Ettelt, S., Hansen, J., Klazinga, N., Mays, N., Schäfer, W. Health services research in Europe: what about an open marriage? European Journal of Public Health: 2011, 21(2), 139-141
- 2011|Hansen, J., Schäfer, W., Black, N., Groenewegen, P.P. European priorities for research on health care organizations and service delivery. Journal of Health Services Research & Policy: 2011, 16(Suppl 2), 16-26
- 2011|Hansen, J., Schäfer, W., Black, N., Groenewegen, P. Health care organisations and service delivery. In: Hansen, J. Health services research into European policy and practice: final report of the HSREPP project. Utrecht: NIVEL, 2011. 65-98
- 2011|Schäfer, W., Groenewegen, P.P., Hansen, J., Black, N. Priorities for health services research in primary care. Quality in Primary Care: 2011, 19(2), 77-83
- 2011|Schäfer, W., Hansen, J., Groenewegen, P. Use of information tools for measuring the production of HSR, its use in health care policy and future priorities In: Hansen, J. Health services research into European policy and practice: final report of the HSREPP project. Utrecht: NIVEL, 2011. 19-26
- 2011|Schäfer, W.L.A., Boerma, W.G.W., Kringos, D.S. The development of GP and patient questionnaires for QUALICOPC, a European study on primary care. European Journal of Public Health: 2011, 21(suppl. 1) 36. Abstract. 4th European Public Health Conference: 'Public Health and Welfare - Welfare Development and Public Health' 9-12 november 2011, Copenhagen.
- 2010|Ginneken, E. van, Schäfer, W., Kroneman, M. Managed competition in the Netherlands: an example for others? Eurohealth: 2010, 16(4), 23-26
- 2010|Schäfer, W., Kroneman, M., Boerma, W., Berg, M. van den, Westert, G., Devillé, W., Ginneken, E. van. The Netherlands: health system review. Kopenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2010.
- 2010|Hansen, J., Schäfer, W., Black, N., Groenewegen, P. Research in the field of health-care organizations: state-of-the-art and future directions. European Journal of Public Health: 2010, 20(suppl. 1) 98. Abstract. 3rd European Public Health Conference 'Integrated Public Health', 10 - 13 November 2010, Amsterdam.
- 2009|Schäfer, W. Setting priorities in HSR: direction and first outcomes of an a consultation among experts across Europe. European Journal of Public Health: 2009, 19(Suppl.1) 116. Abstract. 17th European Public Health Conference 'Human Ecology and Public Health', 25–28 November 2009, Lodz (Polen).
CV
Career
After she completed her Master’s Degree in Health Economics, Policy and Law, Willemijn worked as a researcher and PhD candidate at Nivel between 2008 and 2016. In 2016, she obtained her PhD at the University of Utrecht. Her PhD thesis focused on the range of services provided by General Practitioners (GPs) and the experiences of their patients in 34 countries. For this thesis, she received the CaRe Dissertation Award. Between 2016 and 2021, she resided in the United States where she became Assistant Professor at the Department of Surgery at Northwestern University in Chicago. Her research at Northwestern University focused on, among other things, the implementation and effectiveness of quality improvement projects around acute pain management and opioid prescriptions.
Education
2010- 2016 PhD Graduate School of Geosciences, University of Utrecht (the Netherlands)
2006-2008 Master (MSc) Health Economics, Policy and Law, Erasmus University Rotterdam (the Netherlands)
2003-2007 Bachelor (BSc) Health Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam (the Netherlands)
2006-2008 Master (MSc) Health Economics, Policy and Law, Erasmus University Rotterdam (the Netherlands)
2003-2007 Bachelor (BSc) Health Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam (the Netherlands)