International Keynote

Prof. Dr. Niek de Wit

Niek de Wit has been working as a general practitioner for more than 25 years. In 2009 he was appointed as professor in General Practice at the University Medical Center in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Since 2020 he is chairing the Julius Center of Health Sciences and Primary Care at the UMC Utrecht. (www.juliuscenter.nl).

He has a strong interest in health care innovation in primary care. For 10 years he was director of the Julius Health Centers, the academic general practice of the UMC Utrecht. More recently he has been involved in the development of a regional health care network and innovative healthcare pathways in the Utrecht region.

His academic research has focussed on gastro-intestinal disease and oncology in primary care. He is founding member of the European Society of Primary Care Gastroenterology and co-author of clinical practice guidelines on IBS, dyspepsia, and colorectal cancer. He co-authored the Future strategy 2022 of the Dutch College of General Practice, and was founding member of the Quality Board of the Dutch Health Care Institute. 

He was visiting professor at Kings’ College, London and at Durham University, United Kingdom.

Is innovative technology the solution for the challenges in general practice ?    

In his lecture Niek de Wit will review the current challenges that we face in healthcare, and their impact for general practice across Europe. Many regard technological innovations, such as digital patient information, triage systems, innovative diagnostic tests and decision support systems as the key solution for most of these problems. The different types of technology, their relevance for general practice and the evidence for their effectiveness in clinical practice will be discussed.