The PhD candidate will join the research team focusing on application of operations management approaches to home based health- and social care improvement. Current operations management research in these domains mostly consider institutionalized care settings. Extensions towards the home setting, as required to develop sustainable and value health service concepts for today’s aging societies, are lacking. This holds particularly true for patients suffering from multi-morbid (chronic) conditions, which applies to the majority of elderly patients receiving home care.

The study will explore application of concepts through pilot implementation and therefore be conducted as a design study. The research therefore requires cooperation with Dutch municipalities and home care providers. The designed health service modules and pathways will be implemented and tested in several case-studies, in different settings and regions. Part of the case studies will be performed in Finland, in cooperation with students and researchers from Helsinki University.

Within the broad research aim outlined above, and empirical nature of the research methods, there is room for sharpening the focus of the research, according to the opportunities to have access to specific settings and the preferences of the PhD candidate.

The candidate will also be involved in teaching within the bachelor Health Sciences and in the master Healthcare Management.

Successful candidates are expected to have an MSc in health service research, health care management, business administration, industrial engineering, organisational studies or equivalent and be well educated in operations management. Next to conducting theoretical work, the candidate is expected to contribute to practical health service improvement in collaboration with professionals and patients. This requires team work and mastery of the Dutch and English language (both in writing and speaking).

We offer an appointment as a PhD student for a period of 1.5 years, with the intention of extending to a 4-year position if the candidate fulfils expectations. Remuneration will be according to the PhD scales set by the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU) and will range from € 2,222 in the first year to € 2,840 in the fourth year. In addition, there is a fixed end-of-year bonus of 8.3% and generous opportunities for taking time off.

The institute of Health Policy & Management (iBMG) of Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR), The Netherlands, is a leading institute in health policy and management research and education. iBMG offers a bachelor of science programme, four master of science programmes, a PhD program and (inter)national executive education.

Within the health policy and management domain, iBMG brings together various scientific disciplines such as economics, law, social-medical sciences, management, and governance. Research and educational activities are closely intertwined. Our unique empirically embedded and multidisciplinary approach connects research and education within iBMG.

iBMG is located in the Bayle Building (J) at campus Woudestein of Erasmus University Rotterdam and has strong ties to Erasmus Medical Center, as well as with other schools of Erasmus University Rotterdam. Currently, iBMG hosts around 950 students, and 150 employees. The research and teaching interests and activities of iBMG are increasingly internationally oriented. The number of non-Dutch students and staff are increasing correspondingly.

A PhD position is offered within the section Health Services Management & Organisation group (HSMO).

The PhD will be employed at HSMO. The research and teaching of HSMO covers a wide range of management and organisational topics. The department covers core managerial disciplines such as financial management, purchasing, and operations, and organisational behaviour, and innovation, as well as health services domains such as patient co-creation, quality & safety, and medical leadership. Our current research specifically focusses on main trends in health services innovation, especially in relation to new forms of organising health care. These innovations bring about significant changes for patients, provider organisations, and the networks they form. Given the dynamics of these changes, our research increasingly uses design and action research methods, in addition to more classical evaluative designs.

The research and education of HSMO is in close collaboration with international academic and health service partners across The Netherlands, Europe, the USA, Africa and China. The HSMO staff includes 4 full professors, 3 associate professors, 11 assistant professors and many PhD-students.