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The demand for community nursing care is increasing, while the number of professionals is not growing at the same pace. Scientific literature shows that not all care provided is effective or efficient. This is referred to as proven low-value care, or “Better to Leave” practices. This dissertation demonstrates that several of these practices are common in community nursing. It also highlights the barriers professionals face in reducing such practices, including dealing with requests, demands, and expectations from clients, informal caregivers, and other professionals.
The developed change strategy—including a step-by-step plan—was found to be acceptable, implementable, cost-effective, and scalable. By using available, evidence-based alternatives such as “waterless washing,” care aids, and working according to guidelines, this research shows that reducing low-value practices can save a significant amount of time. This time can then be used to provide more appropriate care.
Benjamin Wendt (1987) is a community nurse and health scientist. In close collaboration with Vilans, V&VN, and various practice organizations, he began his PhD research in 2021 at IQ Health, Radboud University Medical Center, and the Community Nursing research group at HAN University of Applied Sciences.
On Thursday, September 25, 2025, at 12:30 PM, Benjamin Wendt will defend his dissertation titled "De-implementing Low-Value Home-Based Nursing Care." His supervisors are Prof. Dr. H. Vermeulen and Dr. G.J. Huisman-de Waal, and his co-supervisors are Dr. S. van Dulmen and Dr. M.S. Nieuwboer.
The defense will take place at 12:30 PM and can be followed via this live stream.