Interview with the founders and healthcare innovators behind Medimprove
Building the healthcare of tomorrow.
Healthcare is facing major challenges. How can we respond to the increasing demand for care, without sacrificing quality and personal attention? Nurse specialist Wendel Dierckx and pulmonologist Prof. Dr. W. De Backer took matters into their own hands and founded Medimprove. Medimprove offers multidisciplinary care for patients with chronic respiratory diseases, close to home. Their mission? To make care more accessible, faster and more personal, with a view to a better quality of life for (lung) patients.
Chronic lung care, close to the patient
Wendel Dierckx:“When we were still working in the hospital, we already felt that a new, multidisciplinary approach was needed. Hospitals are increasingly focusing on acute care, while we wanted to focus on chronic (or long-term) care, close to the patient. In addition, the hospital setting also brings other challenges. As a lung patient, you often have to travel a long distance from the hospital parking lot to the rehabilitation department. By the time you get there, you are sometimes already exhausted.
Hospitals are increasingly focusing on acute care, while we wanted to focus on chronic care, close to the patient.
Often there are also more staff changes in hospitals: one time you see the doctor, the next time an assistant. As a nurse I noticed how valuable it is to see the same patients again. That way you build a bond and you can follow them better.”
Prof. Dr. W. De Backer: “As a pulmonologist, I noticed that university hospitals mainly focus on urgent, complex care, less on long-term care. Patients with complex, chronic conditions often fall between the cracks. Under pressure from the increasing demand for care, Wendel and I therefore decided to organize this multidisciplinary care outside the walls of the hospital.
Medimprove combines a multidisciplinary approach with specialist expertise. Although multidisciplinary care is not new in itself, this combination makes us unique in our domain.”Wendel Dierckx: “We deliberately work in addition to hospitals. If a patient does need to be admitted, we work together with Antwerp hospitals.”
The art of quick switching in a multidisciplinary group practice
Prof. Dr. W. De Backer: “At Medimprove, we combine the expertise of physiotherapists, nurses and doctors under one roof. This allows us to act quickly. Suppose a patient has a chest X-ray taken. In a hospital, you sometimes have to wait for an appointment to discuss this. With us, such a discussion can take place immediately. With respiratory diseases, every day counts; you want to prevent patients from having to go to the emergency room.”
“At Medimprove we combine the expertise of physiotherapists, nurses and doctors under one roof. This allows us to switch quickly.”
Wendel: “Our philosophy is a correct, fast and personalized approach. Patients can always call us, even if the online agenda is full. We do our utmost to provide care, always.”
The power of collaboration between medical experts
Prof. Dr. W. De Backer: “Sometimes patients leave the hospital with multiple follow-up appointments. That takes months. We offer integrated care: we combine lung function tests, bicycle tests and medication adjustments in one visit.”
Wendel: “The collaboration between doctors and physiotherapists is a huge added value. Our medical equipment makes it possible to perform tests and intervene quickly during rehabilitation. This close collaboration offers patients a more complete trajectory.”
High involvement and tons of experience
Prof. Dr. W. De Backer: “Wendel runs our practice as a nurse specialist with an impressive drive and dedication. This goes beyond what is ‘required’; it is a choice to be truly available. I like to compare Medimprove with a ‘nurse-led clinic’. Wendel runs our practice as a nurse specialist. Doctors stand next to other experts, not above or outside of them.”
“Wendel runs our practice as a nurse specialist. Doctors stand next to other experts, not above or outside of them.”
Wendel: “What I particularly admire about Prof. De Backer is how he uses his vast knowledge and experience to inspire both patients and colleagues. He motivates us to keep learning and innovating, always with the patient at the forefront.”
“Prof. De Backer takes us all to a higher level based on the intrinsic motivation to provide better patient care.”
Driving force of medical research
Wendel: “Our multidisciplinary approach leads to medical breakthroughs. For example, we have adapted our rehabilitation therapies for long-covid patients based on before and after CT scans. With Fluidda technology , we can map very specifically which airways or blood vessels are causing problems. These insights are worth gold.”
Prof. Dr. W. De Backer: “Thanks to this technology, we understand disease patterns better and can offer targeted treatments. It shows how essential collaboration between technology and healthcare is.”
Collaboration model of the future
Prof. Dr. W. De Backer: “With Medimprove we want to build on the care of tomorrow: accessible, high-quality and always patient-oriented. We hope that the healthcare system will stimulate and integrate this way of working more, so that patients everywhere have access to personal care, close to home.
“The future lies in collaboration. Hospitals and practices such as Medimprove can build a care network together in which every patient counts. By complementing each other, we ensure that no one falls by the wayside. In this way, we not only make care more personal and accessible, but also more resilient for the challenges of tomorrow.”
