PhD in Smart Nudges: Context-Aware Monitoring for Patient Safety on Hospital Wards

Introduction

Catharina Ziekenhuis, Philips and Eindhoven University of Technology collaborate closely within the Eindhoven MedTech Innovation Center (e/MTIC). Within this ecosystem, technological innovations are developed to improve healthcare for the future. Dozens of PhD candidates work within e/MTIC together with clinicians, engineers, and researchers on cutting-edge research in medical technology and data-driven healthcare.

Within this collaboration, we are looking for a clinical PhD candidate (0.5 FTE, 4 years) for the research project “Smart Nudges: Context-Aware Monitoring for Patient Safety on Hospital Wards.”

Job Description

In this PhD project, you will work on the development and evaluation of context-aware patient monitoring on hospital wards and potentially also in the intensive care unit.

In current clinical practice, vital signs are often measured at fixed intervals, for example during routine checks. This approach may lead to missed early signs of clinical deterioration or, conversely, unnecessary measurements and alarm fatigue.

In this project, we investigate how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to generate so-called “smart nudges”: intelligent triggers indicating when it is appropriate to perform additional clinical measurements, such as non-invasive blood pressure (NIBP) measurements, ECG diagnostics, or additional laboratory tests.

The algorithms will use information from multiple sources, such as:

• ECG signals
• photoplethysmography (PPG) from wearable devices
• trends in vital signs
• patient context (for example mobility or symptoms)
• clinical data from the electronic medical record

By combining these data sources, the system can trigger additional diagnostics at the right moment, with the aim of:

• earlier detection of clinical deterioration
• reducing unnecessary measurements and alarms
• improving clinical decision-making
• reducing workload for healthcare professionals
• improving the patient experience

As a clinical PhD candidate, you will mainly focus on the clinical implementation and evaluation of this technology. You will work closely with a technical PhD candidate, who will focus on the development of the algorithms and data analysis.

During the project you will collaborate with researchers and clinicians from Philips Research, Eindhoven University of Technology, and Catharina Hospital.

Your responsibilities will include:

• analysing current monitoring processes and clinical workflows
• collecting and analysing clinical data (including vital signs, ECG, PPG, and patient data)
• defining clinical use cases for context-aware measurements
• contributing to the development and validation of AI algorithms for monitoring
• setting up and conducting clinical pilot studies
• evaluating the impact on clinical decision-making, alarm burden, and workflow
• publishing research results in scientific journals and presenting at conferences
  
  

Job Requirements

• You have completed an academic degree in Medicine, Technical Medicine, Qualified Medical Engineering, or Biomedical Engineering.
• You have an interest in digital healthcare innovation, patient monitoring, and AI applications in clinical practice.
• Experience with clinical research or data analysis is considered an advantage.
• You enjoy working in multidisciplinary teams with clinicians, engineers, and researchers.
• You have strong communication skills and can collaborate across disciplines.
• You have good organizational skills and are able to independently plan and manage research activities.
• You have a good command of both Dutch and English.
  
  

Conditions of Employment

You will receive a 0.5 FTE PhD appointment for a period of four years, with the goal of obtaining a PhD degree at Eindhoven University of Technology.

The remaining 0.5 FTE may be filled with clinical duties, in consultation with the Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care, and Pain Medicine at Catharina Hospital. Depending on your background and experience, these activities may include:

• working at the preoperative outpatient clinic (POS)
• clinical work at the Intensive Care Unit
• other suitable clinical tasks within the department

During your PhD, you will be supervised by a multidisciplinary team of clinicians, engineers, and researchers from Catharina Hospital, Philips, and TU/e.

Employment conditions at the hospital are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Hospitals (CAO ziekenhuizen). Salary grading (FWG 50–55, max €4,391) will be based on experience. In addition, we offer a Flexible Benefits System, which allows you to tailor your employment package, for example by adding extra leave or tax advantages.

About us

About the Institutions

Catharina Hospital
Working at Catharina Ziekenhuis means working in an open, welcoming, and highly professional environment. It is a top clinical teaching hospital with strong ambitions, where both patients and employees come first. At Catharina Hospital you will experience the enthusiasm and dedication of more than 3,000 colleagues every day.

Eindhoven University of Technology
In addition to Catharina Hospital, you will also be integrated into the Biomedical Diagnostics Lab, within the Signal Processing Systems group of the Department of Electrical Engineering at Eindhoven University of Technology. This group conducts research in signal processing, data analysis, and medical technology, and collaborates closely with clinical and industrial partners.

Philips
Philips is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and enabling better care outcomes across the entire health continuum, from prevention and diagnosis to treatment and home care.

Within this project, you will collaborate closely with Philips researchers working on patient monitoring, medical data analysis, and AI applications in healthcare.

Information

Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more? Please contact the hiring manager Igor Paulussen, i.w.f.paulussen@tue.nl.

Visit our website for more information about the application process. You can also contact Prof.Dr. R. Arthur Bouwman (Anesthesioloog), Arthur.bouwman@catharinaziekenhuis.nl, 040-239 8500. 

Curious to hear more about what it’s like as a PhD candidate at TU/e? Please view the video.

Are you inspired and would like to know more about working at TU/e? Please visit our career page.

Application

We invite you to submit a complete application by using the apply button. The application should include a:

• Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position.
• Curriculum vitae, including a list of your publications and the contact information of three references. Kindly note that we may reach out to references at any stage of the recruitment process. We recommend notifying your references upon submitting your application.

Ensure that you submit all the requested application documents. We give priority to complete applications.

We look forward to receiving your application and will screen it as soon as possible. The vacancy will remain open until the position is filled.

Please note

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post. 
• A pre-employment screening (e.g. knowledge security check) can be part of the selection procedure. For more information on the knowledge security check, please consult the National Knowledge Security Guidelines.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.