AI & Innovation

Human-Centred AI in Healthcare: From Hype to Reality

How AI agents and interoperability are transforming Dutch healthcare. An open digital backbone, with human-centred AI at its core, is essential to address the challenges facing the healthcare sector.

By Niels Roest 8 min read
The challenge

The growing pressure on the Dutch healthcare sector

The Dutch healthcare sector is under immense pressure. Professionals are struggling with long waiting lists, heavy administrative burdens and a care demand that continues to increase, partly due to an ageing population. Projections indicate a 30–40% rise in care demand by 2030.

At the same time, healthcare organisations are grappling with outdated and fragmented systems, causing valuable data to remain isolated in silos.

PCD CareHub believes that human-centred AI in healthcare is the key to a solution. We see intelligent AI agents not as a replacement, but as a reinforcement of what remains inherently human in care.

Through the CareHub – our open ecosystem of interoperable healthtech companies – we make AI practically applicable within your organisation. This article highlights how AI processes can increase client autonomy, significantly relieve professionals and accelerate the much-needed transition from care to wellbeing.

40%

Time spent on administration

Source: Nictiz e-health Monitor, 2024

70%

Seeking interoperability

Source: Nictiz e-health Monitor, 2024

30-40%

Rise in care demand by 2030

Source: RIVM Toekomstverkenning Zorg, 2024

The problem: AI hype versus healthcare reality

1. Administrative overload

Healthcare professionals lose an average of 40% of their time to administration and duplicate data entry due to non-connected systems. This leads to inefficiency and frustration within the healthcare sector.

2. Longer waiting times

In mental healthcare and youth care, waiting times extend to months, while clients require urgent support. This underscores the need for more effective processes.

3. Need for interoperability

The Monitor Digitale Zorg 2024–2027 shows that 70% of healthcare organisations are seeking integrated solutions that guarantee interoperability, in order to combat fragmented data.

AI is often presented as a miracle solution, but in practice its use remains limited to pilots or closed systems. Human-centred AI in healthcare requires a different approach: not black-box algorithms, but transparent AI agents that seamlessly connect to existing workflows and enhance human interaction.

Without interoperability, data remains fragmented, leading to errors and missed opportunities for personalised care. The current scenario results in professionals experiencing more frustration, clients having less control over their own care pathway, and executives struggling to demonstrate a measurable Return on Investment (ROI) from digital innovations.

Our approach

The solution: PCD's CareHub with AI agents

PCD CareHub is building the CareHub, an open digital healthcare hub in which 25 complementary healthtech companies converge. Central to this is interoperability: systems share real-time data via standards such as Wegiz, without duplicate data entry.

How does human-centred AI work in practice?

01

Explainable AI and interoperability

An AI agent analyses intake data from EHRs, client portals and wearables to propose the most suitable care pathways. Rather than overriding professionals, the AI provides reasoning through explainable AI – transparent decision logic that complies with GDPR and NEN7510.

02

Buy-and-scale model

This aligns with our buy-and-scale model: proven technologies such as workflow engines are coupled with AI modules to create 360° client views.

03

Human oversight

The strength lies in the human layer: AI identifies escalations early (e.g. suicide risk in mental healthcare), but leaves the professional with the final say.

25–35% efficiency gain

As demonstrated in our portfolio cases where automation reduced administration by 60%.

Practical impact: from care to wellbeing

Client journey in youth care

Human-centred AI fundamentally transforms the client journey in healthcare. Consider, for example, a client in youth care: at registration, an AI agent matches the client based on both hard criteria (age, presenting issues) and soft factors (cultural background, personal preferences). This occurs with a real-time waiting list overview, ensuring optimal and efficient placement.

Autonomy for clients

Clients gain access to a self-service portal, giving them greater control over their own care pathway. This reduces isolation and improves treatment adherence.

Focus on core care

Professionals can focus on delivering actual care. This results in less administrative burden, lower workload and higher satisfaction.

Hybrid care in long-term care

In the long-term care sector, AI supports hybrid care. This includes virtual check-ins via video, combined with predictive monitoring. This prevents costly escalations and reduces CO2 emissions through fewer in-person consultations – a double win for ESG objectives.

40%

Greater reach without additional staff

Greater connection for clients, more fulfilment for professionals

This is the essence of “from care to wellbeing”: technology that strengthens humanity.

Looking ahead: trends and PCD strategy

Wegiz and IZA as accelerators

The future of human-centred AI in healthcare lies in scalable ecosystems. With IZA and Wegiz, standardisation becomes mandatory, accelerating our CareHub vision. We aim to forge 25 companies into one robust backbone for the care chain by 2033.

ESG and future-proof investments

Trends such as AI agents for chain collaboration and ESG integration (think green data centres and inclusive AI) create new opportunities for frontrunners in the sector.

PCD selectively acquires profitable healthcare technologies with proven impact. These companies are supported by shared services in the areas of governance and compliance.

This translates into:

  • For executives: lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), higher quality of care and future-proof investments
  • For policymakers: concrete practical examples that make the objectives of IZA tangible and contribute to a sustainable care transformation

Dutch healthcare deserves an open digital backbone

PCD CareHub is making this a reality through the CareHub – ready for your organisation.

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