We are proud to announce that Helpdesk Digital Care has won the ICT&health Award 2025 in the category 'Excellence in Patient-Centered Care'. Our director Merlijne Sonneveld accepted the award from Lucien Engelen during the presentation at the ICT&health World Conference 2025.

Together we make digital care accessible 
Winning the ICT&health Award is a wonderful recognition of our joint hard work. We achieved this achievement as a team: every team member is an essential piece of the puzzle in the success of the foundation. Because every piece counts, we did not only celebrate the victory with one award, but we symbolically gave each team member a puzzle piece award. This underlines that we have made this impact together.

We focus on increasing the accessibility of digital healthcare applications for everyone. Patients and clients can contact us with questions about personal health environments (PHEs), e-health apps, patient portals and much more.

A diverse reach: care for everyone 
What we would like to emphasize is that the group that approaches our helpdesk is much more diverse than is often assumed. Although it is often thought that mainly the elderly and people with low language skills seek our help, in practice we see a broader audience. Healthcare professionals also regularly contact us with digital issues. Moreover, the patient is increasingly seen as an active partner in the care process. Their experiences and insights play a crucial role in improving the quality of care.

This shows how important it is to make care accessible to all stakeholders, regardless of their background or technical skills. Our knowledge and support enable tens of thousands of people to independently use digital care applications each year, which reduces the pressure on traditional care and contributes to a more sustainable care system.

Our future plans 
Now that we have this award in our hands, we look to the future with confidence and enthusiasm. The opportunities are great, and together with you we want to continue building a healthcare system in which digital care remains accessible and human for everyone. We see it as our mission to work even more closely with healthcare institutions and to further expand our network. Together with hospitals, libraries and other partners, we can make digital care accessible on a larger scale, so that more and more healthcare providers and care recipients can benefit from it.

In addition, we want to increase awareness of the possibilities of digital care. Not only among patients, but also among healthcare professionals. We believe that technology can make care more personal, sustainable and efficient. By continuing to invest in education and guidance, we ensure that digital care is not just a tool, but above all a means to improve care. Together we make remote care closer. 

Want to know more about us?
With these innovative plans, the goal remains to improve the care experience for everyone. Do you have questions about digital care applications or are you interested in our future plans? The website provides more information, as well as support for using digital care solutions.

The jury, consisting of Diederik Gommers (chairman of the editorial board of ICT&health), Lucien Engelen (CEO of Transform Health) and the editorial staff of ICT&health, selected us as the winner from fifteen nominees, divided over five categories. In the category 'Excellence in Patient-Centered Care', initiatives are recognized that truly put the patient first and provide care that meets their needs and expectations.

TanteLouise and Sandra Suijkerbuijk were also nominated in this category. The award recognizes initiatives that make digital care more accessible and sustainable for both patients and healthcare professionals. This is an important step in promoting innovations that improve the quality of care.