17 november 2025 • 4 minute read
Healthcare is changing rapidly. Demand is increasing and becoming more complex, while capacity isn't growing proportionally. Costs are rising, waiting lists are growing. Healthcare professionals are overworked, and patients are lost in the systems. Who will take care of healthcare?
At Topicus, we take the lead. We use smart technology to connect people, organizations, and domains.
Christiaan Mast, director of Topicus' Healthcare division: "The Netherlands is experiencing a double aging population. The number of elderly people is increasing, and the average age within that group is rising. At the same time, there is already insufficient capacity per resident or patient. This combination is creating growing pressure: rising costs, increasing waiting lists, and less time for patients."
In the Netherlands, approximately one in six workers currently works in healthcare and social welfare. If the demand for support and nursing continues to rise at the same rate, by 2030, one in five workers may be needed to meet that demand. This will further increase the pressure on the labor market, not only in healthcare, but also in the broader social domain of welfare, youth care, and social support. Costs could then rise to as much as 20% of GDP over the next ten years.
Daan Verbree, platform integration officer within Topicus' Healthcare division: "Accessible healthcare means that everyone gets the right help. At the right time and in the right place. Technology plays a key role in this. It makes healthcare more efficient, effective, and more human."
At Topicus we use technology to:
Handle care in the right place through demand management. This ensures that the request for help reaches the right person, such as welfare or GP care.
Make care more efficient by recording information once and making it available to all care providers involved.
Make care more effective, with smart, personalized care pathways that are tailored to an individual's specific situation.
We can't continue organizing healthcare as we do now. By using technology effectively, healthcare providers can free up time for the people who need them most.
Christiaan: "A concrete example is Steunwijzer, a feature within the VIPLive platform. With Steunwijzer, residents can explore the services available in their region, from welfare initiatives to care programs. It connects healthcare providers and the social services sector and gives residents insight into and control over their own situation.
VIPLive also supports collaboration between healthcare providers with communication modules, questionnaires, and digital referrals. The result? Less fragmentation, more collaboration, and residents who are more self-reliant.
Accessible healthcare is no longer a given. The urgency is great, but technology offers opportunities: to strengthen collaboration, empower residents, and reduce the burden on healthcare professionals.
If we do nothing, the gap between healthcare demand and healthcare supply will grow.
Less self-reliance: people lose control over their own health.
More pressure on professionals: without smart technology, valuable time is lost in administration and transfers.
Self-reliance is therefore the key word, and that goes beyond care alone.
Topicus's strength lies in the connections between domains. Accessibility and self-reliance aren't just issues in healthcare. We also use technology to empower people to take control of their lives within finance and education.
Within the finance sector, we do this with solutions that give residents better insight into their income and expenses, so they can calculate scenarios and receive support to become more financially independent.
Within education, we're developing digital learning environments that give students insight into their progress and development. This empowers them to make their own choices and take responsibility for their learning process, with guidance from teachers where needed.
In this way, we strengthen people's self-reliance in all areas, whether it concerns health, finances, or learning.
Accessible healthcare is no longer a given. The urgency is great, but technology offers opportunities: to strengthen collaboration, empower residents, and reduce the burden on healthcare professionals. At Topicus, we leverage our knowledge, technology, and social ambition to realize that future. For today and ten years from now.
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Topicus acquires DEARhealth to jointly develop smart healthcare software that improves collaboration and reduces pressure on the healthcare system.
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