Dr A.F. (Andrea) de Winter: ‘Research should be meaningful for the professional field’

‘We are conducting several projects in the field of youth health care in collaboration with the professional field. The idea is that research should be meaningful for the field, and this is only possible if the field is involved in all phases of the research. Active contributions from the field will increase the quality of the research’, says scientist Dr. A.F. (Andrea) de Winter.

The project Op weg naar evidence-based triage binnen de jeugdgezondheidszorg van 0-4 jaar [En route to evidence-based triage in youth health care in the 0-4 age group] is a good example of such collaboration. An important aim of this project is to lay the foundations for triage in youth healthcare in the 0-4 age group by developing implementable policies and studying their validity. Intensive collaboration is achieved, for example, through workshops where professionals can make contributions.

‘We also prepare research measurements together with staff members of GGD Groningen. This type of input enhances the project. And that’s also what makes working in our section so much fun: you get to conduct research in close collaboration with the professional field’, says Dr A.F. (Andrea) de Winter.