Dr. Hendriks has an expertise in the field of Redesigning Health Care. This is a broad and dynamic research area which is evolving rapidly. His major interest goes out to Integrated Chronic Care Management in cardiac care – heart rhythm diseases, particularly atrial fibrillation (AF), and the translation of this approach in chronic heart disease, integrating primary and secondary care services. This includes related topics like patient educational and self-management interventions, shared decision making, and interventions to improve guideline adherence.

Dr Hendriks is an academic nurse and research scientist with a particular interest in:

1. Integrated Care management of patients with cardiac arrhythmias, particularly atrial fibrillation, and associated cardiovascular conditions.
2. Implementation of novel models of care delivery and the required redesign of practices.
3. The role of multidisciplinary teams in terms of efficiency, effectiveness and coordination of care delivery.
4. The role of active patient involvement within integrated care approaches, including topics such as patient education, self-management, lifestyle modification and shared decision making.
5. Evidence based guideline development and evaluation of guideline adherence in the management of cardiovascular patients.

AVAILABLE PROJECTS FOR HONOURS/PHD STUDENTS

Integrated Care in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation – The iCARE-AF Study.

This is a large multi-centre, multi-state RCT recruiting patients with Atrial Fibrillation and comparing the effectiveness in delivery an integrated care approach (i.e. patient centred, multidisciplinary team and using smart technology for patients and health care team) versus usual care by a cardiologist.

Multiple areas for research (including clinical, process as well as patient reported outcomes) will be available through this trial and any prospective students should contact Dr Hendriks in the first instance.

Dr Hendriks, RN, MSc, PhD holds the inaugural Leo J Mahar Cardiovascular Nursing Chair at the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University and the Department of Cardiology, Royal Adelaide Hospital. In this clinical academic role he aims to develop a collaborative of academic and clinical excellence to support joint research endeavours between Flinders University and the Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN).

He is an Academic Nurse and Health Scientist and undertook his PhD (2013) at the Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands. His Doctoral studies focussed on developing Integrated Care in terms of specialised atrial fibrillation (AF) clinics and proving improved outcomes as well as the role of specialised nurses to manage these clinics.

After being awarded his PhD he undertook Post-Doctoral training at the Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden, and investigated the role of eHealth programs for patients with cardiac arrhythmias. In 2015 he took up the Derek Frewin Lectureship at the Centre for Heart Rhythm Disorders, University of Adelaide, to further focus on the magnitude of novel models of care (i.e. integrated care) for patients with cardiac arrhythmias and associated cardiovascular conditions.

In the past decade Dr Hendriks has developed an international reputation in the field of integrated care management and the required practice redesign and health care reform associated with the implementation of such approaches. He is fortunate to hold a Future Leader Fellowship from the Australian Heart Foundation.