What if... Virtual research laboratories contribute to a more coherent and sustainable healthcare system

Excellence participant Nicklas Vinter is interested in why there is often a gap between what we know works and what happens in practice in the healthcare system. So, using mathematical models and simulations, he will investigate how patients, health professionals, organizations and decisions affect each other over time.

"Our models will function as virtual laboratories where we can test 'what-if' scenarios. For example, how changes in organization or access affect treatment quality and equity." 

Decision support for clinicians and decisionmakers
With a background in classical epidemiology, his interest in this research field arose with the realization that many of the biggest health challenges cannot be understood or solved with traditional methods alone. At the same time, he became interested in working with a systems approach to research as it opens up new ways of understanding reality.

A key focus of the research will be patient pathways in cardiovascular disease which involve many actors. He will also develop and evaluate solutions that can be used as decision support for clinicians and health policymakers.

"Patient pathways transcend organizational boundaries, and thus challenges arise when the healthcare system is organized around individual diseases, specialties and sectors. This can lead to fragmented treatment, lack of coordination and health inequity," he explains. 

A fair, coherent and well-functioning healthcare system
Nicklas Vinter's motivation stems from a fundamental desire to contribute to a fairer, more coherent and well-functioning healthcare system. A driving force for him is to create knowledge that is not only methodologically strong, but can also be clearly communicated and used by decisionmakers in practice.

"I am most passionate about making complexity manageable without simplifying reality. System models make it possible to highlight the necessary trade-offs in the healthcare system, for example between treatment quality, access and resources, as well as uncertainty and unintended consequences. This way, the research can contribute to more informed and transparent decisions," he says. 

Solid methodological understanding and experience
Research stays abroad have greatly impacted his development as a researcher at AAU. In particular, the stays have strengthened his academic competencies and professional profile in clinical epidemiology and cardiovascular diseases. Through collaborations with international research environments in Boston and Liverpool, he gained solid methodological understanding and experience, as well as an international network that is important for both knowledge exchange and the development of new research ideas. It also resulted in an increased focus on methodological rigor, critical thinking and relevance to clinical practice in his own research. 

"The academic foundation and perspectives I have gained through collaboration with international colleagues have been crucial for my ability to continue working on developing new research directions, including the use of system-based methods to study the organization and function of the healthcare system."

Equip health researchers to work with system models
In five years' time, Nicklas Vinter hopes to have established a strong, visible research group recognized for delivering decision-relevant, quantitative systems research in the healthcare system. As group leader, he will work closely with clinicians, health administrators and policy actors to analyze and develop more coherent and sustainable solutions.

"My goal is that our research is not only published in international journals, but also actively used as decision support in Danish and international healthcare systems. I also want to play a central role in research training and talent development and contribute to equipping the next generation of health researchers to work with system models," he says.