About me

Who is Hans Severens and what is his drive?

Contributing to high quality, efficient and fair health care systems has been my goal, ever since I decided to study health sciences. As a second-year student, I was already a research assistant for health economists and HTA experts. After graduating, I worked in several African countries. This made me realise that HTA education and research are indispensable tools for the effective use of limited manpower and means in health care. This has been my motivation for over 25 years. However, I prefer not to be only expressing my opinion and publishing scientific papers. I prefer to participate actively in health care decision making by being a member of committees, (vice-)president and chairperson of health care organisations and boards, and by being a scientific counsellor to health technology companies. Furthermore, I enjoy being a lecturer and mentor, and I have visited educational and research institutes for assessment of their programmes, worldwide.

Why Severens HTA Consultancy?

For me, Severens HTA Consultancy is, after many years and various positions in the academic environment (from research assistant to dean), the logical next step in my professional career. Considering my extensive experience, more than ever I choose to be part of development and innovation of health care technologies. I fully want to make use of my HTA/HEOR knowledge and health care decision making background, for any organisation sharing my values, anywhere on the globe. Complex decisions regarding health care technologies and innovation call for independent advice based on strong, transparent evidence.

Vision and values

What is stimulating about health care technologies and health care systems is that these are continuously evolving. From a more static past we have moved on to a dynamic present. We shift from late to early evaluation of innovation, from population averages towards the value for an individual patient. From multidisciplinary we evolve to interdisciplinary scientific evidence, and we progress from top-down decision making towards decision making context and implementation.

This evolving environment gives me energy. I am curious by nature and a creative thinker and doer. In my approach to managing projects and assignments I have an eye for effective collaboration, I will set clear targets and bring structure and transparency, while contributing my knowledge and vision (leadership profile assessed by Management Drives – mastering leadership).

Biography

Before starting Severens HTA consultancy, I worked for more than 30 years for various organisations and universities, rapidly moving to senior positions, as shown in the figures below. I am author of over 250 peer reviewed scientific papers. During my professorship I supervised 25 PhDs and dozens of MSc students successfully. In addition to my academic activities, I used my knowledge, experience, and interest extensively for ancillary activities and positions, nationally and internationally. As such, I have seen many sides of concrete health care decision making and contributed in disentangling complex decision issues based on scientific evidence. Besides playing an advisory role, I also contributed to efficient and fair health care, for instance as vice president of the Health Council and chairperson of the National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group of the Netherlands. Besides, intensive collaboration with the Health Care Institute and incidental consultancies for WHO and pharmaceutical companies are examples of my involvement in health care decision making.

Doing sports such as cycling on my racing bike or mountain bike, skating, and long distance running are important leisure time activities to me. Ideally, I spend my holidays together with family and friends in the high mountains.

You will find my curriculum vitae here and you can see my list of publications here.

Want to know more?

Feel free to contact me

Are you interested to know more about my scientific background, my professional experience, and what I can offer to your organization, please contact me to arrange a moment to become acquainted.

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