Current Projects
- Continuation of Collaboration: Implementation of the Pain Guideline
- Goal: Care professionals are knowledgeable about the pain guideline and can apply its implementation within their own organization.
- Duration: September 2025 – September 2026 (follow-up in 2027 and 2028).
- Participants: ’s Heerenloo, Cello Zorg, S&L Zorg, Elver, Prinsenstichting, Ipse de Bruggen, Frion Zorg, De Twentse Zorgcentra, Zozijn, De Zijlen, Van Boeijen, Alliade, Philadelphia Zorg.
- Emotion Regulation in Chronic Pain and Intellectual Disabilities
- Goal: Develop recommendations on this topic.
- Duration: September 2025 – September 2026.
- Collaboration Partners: Windesheim University of Applied Sciences (Master PMT), VU Amsterdam (Master Orthopedagogics).
- Orofacial Pain
- Goal: Achieve valid and reliable signaling of orofacial pain in people with intellectual disabilities.
- Duration: May 2025 – May 2027.
- Collaboration Partners: VMBZ (Dutch Association for Disability and Oral Health), Dental Education for Disabled Care (ACTA).
- Development of Pain Signaling Training for Caregivers of People with Intellectual Disabilities
- Goal: Client caregivers possess the basic skills needed to recognize pain in their clients with intellectual disabilities.
- Duration: June 2025 – December 2026.
- Funding: Jessica Buitelaar Fund.
- Collaboration Partners: Elver, ’s Heerenloo Wekerom, Dichterbij, De Twentse Zorgcentra, Ipse de Bruggen, Gemiva-SVG Group, Eemhart.
- Transmural Collaboration: Caregivers in Disabled Care and Emergency Departments
- Goal: Develop recommendations on this topic.
- Duration: June 2024 – January 2026.
- Collaboration Partner: Utrecht University of Applied Sciences (Minor Acute Care).
National collaboration project for care institutions to implement the guideline for pain in people with intellectual disabilities (SKILZ, 2025).
Inventory of experiences and challenges related to the use of emotion regulation (and co-regulation) in people with intellectual disabilities and chronic pain.
Research into the applicability of measurement instruments for orofacial pain (including OPS-NVI and OHAT-NL) in people with intellectual disabilities.
Testing and further development of a training program for client caregivers on recognizing pain in people with intellectual disabilities.
Literature review and inventory of experiences regarding communication and collaboration on pain in people with intellectual disabilities between care institutions and Emergency Departments (ED).