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Organization and Goals of Virtual Care Centres in Dutch Hospitals

Balm, Jessica (2025) Organization and Goals of Virtual Care Centres in Dutch Hospitals.

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Abstract:Background: Virtual care involves remote patient monitoring and digital communication between patients and providers and is increasingly integrated into healthcare. In Dutch hospitals, virtual care centres (VCCs) have emerged to provide all digital care services through a centralized department. This approach aims to address healthcare challenges, such as staff shortages, rising costs, and the need for accessible, high-quality care. While VCCs are rapidly developing, little is known about how they are organized and what goals they pursue. This study aimed to explore the structural organization and goals of VCCs in the Netherlands. Methods: To gain broad insight into the current organization and goals of VCCs in Dutch hospitals, an online survey combining qualitative and quantitative questions was conducted. The survey, developed based on the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist, was distributed to all 69 Dutch hospitals between May and June 2025. Inclusion criteria ensured respondents had knowledge of their hospital’s virtual care approach and proficiency in Dutch. Quantitative data from multiple choice and numeric questions were summarized using descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percentages, means and medians. Qualitative data from open-ended fields were analyzed through coding and categorizing responses related to organizational structure and goals. Additionally, correlation analyses were conducted to explore relationships between variables of interest. Results: Of the 37 hospitals included in the analysis (54% of all Dutch hospitals), 15 (41%) reported operating a virtual care centre (VCC). The structural organization of these VCCs included common use of digital applications for remote patient monitoring, with nearly all centres using phone calls, in-app messaging, and automated messages to communicate with patients. (Specialized) nurses were the primary providers of virtual care. Most hospitals provided training to VCC staff and offered patients support in using monitoring technology. Virtual care pathways were mostly disease-specific, developed by multidisciplinary teams, and typically initiated by medical specialists. Integration with electronic medical records varied across VCCs. The number of full-time equivalent staff (FTEs), average monthly patient volumes, number of care pathways, collaborations with external partners, and financing sources showed variation among VCCs. Regarding goals, nearly all VCCs reported ambitions to expand virtual care services, improve collaboration, and scale up capacity. All VCCs used patient and staff feedback to evaluate virtual care delivery. Conclusions: The Dutch hospitals showed alignment on several organizational aspects of their VCCs, including technology type, communication channels, implementation of care pathways, and technical support, though the level of technological infrastructure varied. Most hospitals expressed ambitions to expand virtual care, enhance regional collaboration, and scale up their VCCs, reflecting alignment with national digital healthcare goals. These findings provide a basis for hospitals and policymakers to further develop VCCs, with a focus on enhancing technological integration, optimizing resource allocation, strengthening external collaborations and improving financial support.
Item Type:Essay (Master)
Faculty:TNW: Science and Technology
Programme:Health Sciences MSc (66851)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/106602
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