Nadine Boesten
Nadine Boesten holds a master’s degree in Health Policy, Innovation and Management. Her research focuses on patient-centred and multidisciplinary collaboration in health care.
Affiliation
Ghent University
Areas of expertise
- Healthcare policy and operations management
- Multidisciplinary team meetings in healthcare settings
- Implementation research
Get to know Nadine
What do you think is the strength of The Symphony of Us?
‘The strength behind this project is its transdisciplinary approach. It’s my first time participating in a transdisciplinary project and I’m already noticing the wealth of expertise. As a team, we strive for real change and get beyond superficial recommendations. That’s why you must approach problems with a much broader context. You need that broader perspective to achieve sustainable change.’
What drew you to the project?
‘I’m not a cancer patient myself. I’m an epilepsy patient. That personal experience spurred me to study health management. I have experienced what it’s like to be a patient in the health care system and I think we can work together to improve it. You’re still a patient even when not seeing the doctor. It impacts your entire life, but our society often doesn’t have any idea. With The Symphony of Us, I want to make a positive impact and address the challenges.’
How does your expertise contribute to this research?
‘As a master in health management and policy, my work often starts out with the question: How do we optimise processes?' I have a lot of experience in hospital management. For instance, oncology meetings between different disciplines where the treatment plans for cancer patients are drawn up. These should take into account the psychosocial factors and patient preferences, but this is often overlooked. So, unfortunately, we waste a lot of time and resources.’
"We aim to bring about real change, not just come up with superficial recommendations."
What insight from your field would you like to share with the world?
‘We need to recognise the importance of the patient at all levels of care, not just in consulting rooms, but outside it as well. An illness impacts a person’s life all the time, every single day. In health care, we often focus on short-term solutions rather than understanding the long-term impact on patients' lives. So, it’s essential we consider the full context for each individual patient. It’s crucial that we’re mindful of the full context of each patient.’
How do you see the future of cancer research?
‘I want patients to be really involved, not just the token efforts we usually see now. It’s time for real practical changes. I see a future where patients are involved in research from the beginning at every level. We need to give patients better information and tools to empower their voices. And I dream of a less fragmented health care system. Currently, we have a lot of different specialisms and at the same time, we’re facing more and more chronic and complex health problems. A multidisciplinary approach where different experts work closely together would be fantastic.’
What song does The Symphony of Us symbolise for you?
‘For me, the song “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” by the rock band Starship. The song is about true team spirit. At The Symphony of Us, we know that transdisciplinary research in health care is challenging. It hasn’t occurred that much yet and can be hard because of our differences. But still, I do feel that “We’re going for it!” mentality very strongly.’
“Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now is about true team spirit. At The Symphony of Us, we know that transdisciplinary research in health care is challenging. It hasn’t occurred that much yet and can be hard because of our differences. But still, I do feel that “We’re going for it!” mentality very strongly.”
What has recently touched you deeply?
‘Something that always affects me deeply are random acts of kindness, especially in a big city like Brussels. Say, when you notice that someone is struggling and then people help each other. Now that can be really touching. We are all just trying to find our way in life, so a daily dose of kindness can only help.’
Which qualities do you value in others?
‘Honesty and empathy are key for me. In health care, empathy sometimes seems to dissipate when people are under pressure. Which is why in a project like The Symphony of Us, we need to ask all actors about their challenges and involve them. Understanding each other more can already make a huge difference.’
If you were to take a sabbatical year, how would you fill it?
‘I would travel, give different ways of living a try and learn from my diverse experiences. I really believe that is a fantastic way to broaden your horizons.’
Our other researchers
Teodora Lalova-Spinks
Ghent University
Silke Léonard
AP Antwerp
Florence Horicks
Université Libre de Bruxelles