Dr. Rick van Loon is affiliated to Faculty of Perioperative Care and Technology of Fontys University of Applied Sciences as a researcher. He obtained his PhD on the decision-based application of technology to improve first attempt cannulation success during peripheral intravenous cannulation. At the moment, he is focusing on the research project ‘The Operating Room of the Future’ to find answers to the question of how we can keep perioperative care accessible with enough skilled and future-proof healthcare professionals. In particular, the shortage of healthcare professionals poses a major threat to the continuity of care, while technological developments are advancing rapidly and changing the way work is done in an operating room. Can we replace a healthcare professional with a robot, or are there specific competencies that cannot be taken over by technology? To what extent can technology solve the staffing shortage at all? How should we train students so that they are future-proof and resiliant?
