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PhD position Patients’ rights in the context of digitalization of healthcare

Updated: 20 Dec 2024

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Research / Academic
Rotterdam

Have you (almost) completed a master’s degree in health law, law and digital technology, health policy, or another relevant field? Are you interested in research and education? At the Department of Health Law & Ethics (HLE) of the Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management (ESHPM), we are looking for a motivated and enthusiastic PhD student who wants to conduct qualitative empirical and normative research on the topic of patients’ rights in the context of digitalization of healthcare (full-time).

Aim of the research:
Digital technologies and specifically, the use of machine-learning and data-intensive tools, are changing the way healthcare is delivered. This transformation is reflected by recent developments in international and European health policy and law. Patients and their rights are at the core of this transformation. However, safeguarding core patient rights such as privacy, confidentiality, non-discrimination and the essential elements of the right to health, raises challenges that are not yet fully understood nor sufficiently addressed in the digital context. Specifically, systemic reviews of existing research concluded that more in-depth studies are needed on how the patient privacy perspective is changing (Shen et al, 2023). Taking the patients’ perspective and a rights-based approach, the research focuses on the role of international and European law in setting and enforcing the standards for patient rights in the context of digital transformation of healthcare. To promote academic as well as social impact, the project includes the overall objective of contributing to the debate on patients’ rights, access to healthcare in the context of digital transformation, and related developments in international and European health law and policy. As a specific objective, the project also aims at fostering dialogue with healthcare and legal professionals as well as policymakers.

What will you do?
You will join an internationally oriented research project and a team of health law experts at Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management (ESHPM). As a PhD candidate, you will be expected to develop your own research focus within the topic outlined above. You will work on the research independently but in close cooperation with your supervisors, with sufficient scope for your own interpretation of the research theme. The PhD project is expected to include empirical research (data collection and analysis) and a legal/normative component. Specifically, you will combine legal analysis with insight in healthcare and health policy and draw conclusions that are scientifically solid, innovative, and have a societal impact/ are relevant for policymaking as well. You will be expected to present your findings in scholarly articles published in scientific peer-reviewed international journals. Furthermore, you will be responsible for collecting the articles as thesis chapters and publishing them as a dissertation also including an introductory and concluding chapter.

Given that at ESHPM, research and education are closely intertwined, the supervisory team will encourage and assist you as PhD candidate to gain teaching experience by contributing to the educational programs in which the Health Law and Ethics (HLE) team members are engaged. Furthermore, the supervisory team will involve you in ESHPM activities and assist your professional development by facilitating your enrolment in tailored training opportunities provided at ESHPM to staff members. Further to an initial needs assessment, relevant training options will be identified. As a PhD candidate, you will be encouraged to take ownership of your own professionalization by reflecting on related needs and drawing up a personal professionalization plan.

Requirements:

Your profile:

  • You have a master’s degree preferably in health law, law and digital technology, health policy, or another relevant field, with excellent results;
  • You possess qualitative research skills, are familiar with legal research methods and are motivated to further develop your skills in these fields;
  • You have an affinity for a multidisciplinary approach to research and teaching;
  • You have excellent academic skills (analytical thinking, scientific writing and presentation), evidenced for example by a good review of your master's thesis and scientific publications;
  • You have excellent command of written and spoken English. Dutch communication and writing skills constitute an advantage;
  • You can work well in a team and are also able to carry out your work independently and proactively.


Supervision:
Supervision of the research and mentoring of the PhD candidate are ensured by Prof Dr Martin Buijsen and Dr Maria Eva Földes.

Salary Benefits:

We offer you an internationally oriented and varied job in an enthusiastic team, with excellent working conditions in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU).

The preferred start date of this position is 01-APR-2025 and you will be based at Campus Woudestein in Rotterdam, Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management (ESHPM). This position is for 0.8 fte - 1 fte. The salary ranges from a minimum of € 2.901 to a maximum of € 3.707 gross per month Scale PhD on a fulltime basis (38 hours), in accordance with the CAO-NU. The initial contract is entered into for the duration of 1,5 year (18 months), with the possibility of extension.

Everything else we offer you, you can find below!

Work Hours:

32 - 40 hours per week

Address:

Burgemeester Oudlaan 50