Esther de Groot

Esther de Groot serves as an Associate Professor at Utrecht University specializing in learning sciences within medical education. Her work focuses on enhancing workplace learning and professional performance of medical professionals through interprofessional collaboration and evidence-based medicine integration.

Holding a master's degree in molecular biology, she transitioned into educational consultancy before completing doctoral research on lifelong learning for veterinary professionals. Her academic journey reflects a dedicated shift from laboratory sciences to educational theory and practice.

De Groot's research centers on boundary-spanning learning processes between healthcare disciplines, professionals and patients, and researchers and clinicians. She employs qualitative methodologies and realist reviews to develop organizational learning interventions that bridge biomedical evidence with clinical practice. Primary care settings form the critical context for her investigations into innovative workplace learning approaches.

Recent publications demonstrate concentrated research activity in diagnostic prediction for acute symptoms like shortness of breath, with strong emphasis on gender-stratified analysis and pandemic impacts on triage systems. Her work consistently explores collaborative learning mechanisms through observational studies and social network analysis, revealing patterns in how clinician-scientists mobilize professional networks.

She actively contributes to Utrecht University's Research in the Continuum of Primary Care Education group, which develops workplace learning innovations through professional networks and communities to advance primary care education.