Healthcare in the Netherlands shifts toward home-based digital care

Healthcare in the Netherlands is increasingly shifting from hospitals to the home through digital monitoring, hybrid care paths, and remote guidance. At Catharina Hospital, remote monitoring has scaled from 1,500 patients per year in late 2024 to over 5,000 patients currently, covering groups such as those with COPD, heart failure, asthma, and recovering from strokes.

ZonMw has funded fourteen projects aimed at bringing specialist medical care closer to patients, supported by regional and national Medical Service Centers (ZMSC's). Flevoziekenhuis is also expanding this model, planning to develop three new care paths within eighteen months.

In a related development regarding specialized care, an analysis by the VitaValley foundation suggests that investing in technology for people with non-acquired brain injury (NAH) yields significant social returns. The InteraktContour approach, which provides personalized advice and tools to help patients live independently, is estimated to generate €7.5 million in social value against a €2.6 million investment between 2023 and 2027. While the technology can delay institutionalization by an average of 117 days and improve quality of life, InteraktContour warns that a lack of structural, cross-domain funding prevents further scaling.