Dirk Ubbink focuses on researching, teaching and implementing evidence-based medicine (EBM) and shared decision-making (SDM) as topical, moral and ethical aspects of high-quality care. These healthcare-wide principles are currently the focus of international attention. He also focuses on the best ways of communicating with the patient about the benefits and risks of medical interventions, better enabling them to think along with the medical team and reach decisions regarding the treatment option that best matches their preference.

EBM and SDM

As a professor, Ubbink's research and teaching will focus on improving and optimising patient care by analysing evidence obtained through research. This will facilitate evidence-based decision-making in medical practice (EBM). He will also focus on research into interventions that promote SDM for care professionals and patients when deciding about the available treatment options.

About Dirk Ubbink

Ubbink is a medical doctor and clinical epidemiologist at the AMC. He is one of the principal investigators at the department of Surgery and one of the coördinators of the Academic Development longitudinal training for the Bachelor’s programme in Medicine. He also chairs the AMC/VUmc working group on Shared Decision-Making, which promotes hospital-wide research, teaching and implementation with regard to shared decision-making. 

Previously, Ubbink was head of the vascular diagnostic laboratory at the AMC, staff member of the Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics department, and staff member of the Quality Assurance & Process Innovation department. After his medical training at the VU Medical Center, Ubbink spent several years in clinical practice before conducting his doctoral research at the Maastricht University Hospital.

Ubbink has a substantial number of publications to his name and is (or has been) a co-supervisor for more than 15 doctoral candidates.