Nienke Kerver

Nienke Kerver is a researcher at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), part of the University of Groningen, specializing in upper limb prosthetics and rehabilitation medicine. Her work bridges clinical practice with health economics to evaluate the real-world effectiveness and cost-benefit of prosthetic solutions.

Her primary research interests include:

• Prosthetics and upper limb rehabilitation technologies
• Cost-effectiveness analysis of medical devices
• Myoelectric hand prostheses and user experience
• Patient decision-making in prosthetic selection
• Clinical outcomes measurement in rehabilitation

Dr. Kerver's research program focuses on evaluating whether advanced prosthetic technologies like multi-grip systems provide sufficient additional value to justify their higher costs compared to standard solutions. Her methodological approach combines clinical research with health economics, employing rigorous comparative effectiveness studies.

Her scientific contributions include:

• Multiple peer-reviewed publications in journals including Disability and Rehabilitation and Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation
• Development of the PDA-TULA (Patient Decision Aid for Terminal Devices for Upper Limb Absence)
• Creation of comprehensive datasets documenting user preferences and experiences with upper limb prostheses

She actively collaborates with colleagues at UMCG, particularly with C. K. van der Sluis, and her work has gained recognition through citations in scholarly literature and professional media coverage.