Marieke Duiverman won the prize for the "Reconsider study". She showed that for people with severe COPD initiation of chronic non-invasive (mask-)ventilation is non-inferior to standard in-hospital initiation. Initiation at home was by far preferred by these disabled patients and reduces healthcare costs by more than 50%. Patients have been involved in this study from start to finish. Marieke Duiverman: “For me, involving patients in research is a continuous process. And the big advantage of this involvement is that we meet the true wishes of our patients. Currently this is reflected by the urgency felt to implement home initiation at large scale in standard care, a process with which we already made big steps.
The jury called both studies "gems" when it comes to involving patients in research. Patients are involved from start to finish and are actual partners in these studies. The prize is dedicated to Prof. Dr. Peter Sterk for his earnings in lung research and his commitment to patient participation. With this prize, the Long Fund stimulates the involvement of patients as equal partners in all phases of research. Researchers have been able to compete for the prize since 2018.
