Dr. Wolter Paans

Wolter Paans is a professor within the professorship Nursing Diagnostics. His research focuses on Advance Care Planning and the professional development of nurse specialists.

Within his research line on Advance Care Planning, Wolter investigates how patients with multiple conditions can receive better care through shared decision-making, strengthening health literacy and the use of technological innovations (such as sensor technology and artificial intelligence). He develops mixed-method models and applies various forms of action research. In addition to patient-centred research, he pays particular attention to the professional development of nurse specialists, especially within the diagnostic overlap between medical specialists and general practitioners. Social-systemic approaches, such as the family-centred approach in healthcare, are also an important part of his work.

Within his professorship, Wolter also holds a clinical researcher position in the Anaesthesia, Perioperative, and Intensive Care Cluster (API cluster) at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), where he serves as a research supervisor and co-promotor. In addition, Wolter frequently publishes in professional and scientific journals and writes a regular column for the magazine HuisartsenService.