DICIM 2025

5, 6 and 7 November
Almere, The Netherlands
 

Speakers

Liesbeth van Rossum
Professor in the field of obesity and stress research
Erasmus MC, Rotterdam
Read more →
Karsten Filzmaier
Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder at we4 Impact
we4 Impact
Read more →
Will Trump
Founder at Unconventional Wisdom, the go-to Behavioural Science Consultancy for the insurance industry
Unconventional Wisdom
Read more →
Saul Newman
Senior Research Fellow
University College London, Oxford Institute for Population Ageing
Read more →
Paulo Pinho
Chief Medical and Strategy Officer
Discern Health
Read more →
Debby Smith
Chief Medical Officer EMEA
Swiss Re
Read more →
Elyssa Del Valle
Chief Medical Officer L&H Americas
Swiss Re
Read more →
Kjeld Aij
Director of Themes Dijkzigt and Health Sciences
Erasmus MC, Rotterdam
Read more →
Leontien Kremer
Professor of late effects after childhood cancer
Prinses Máxima Centrum for Pediatric Oncology
Read more →
Richard Jaspers
Professor of Molecular and Translational Exercise Physiology
VU Amsterdam
Read more →
Elisabeth Foncke
Neurologist
Ghent University Hospital, Belgium
Read more →
Alwin van Drongelen
Senior Scientist Fatigue Management and Operator Performance
NLR
Read more →
Yvonne Suijkerbuijk
Insurance physician-PhD candidate KCVG
Amsterdam UMC
Read more →
Donny Kreuger
Amsterdam UMC
Elza Muller
Insurance physician-PhD candidate KCVG
UWV
Read more →
Dirk Vervenne
PhD candidate at KCVG/UMCG and research assistant at UWV
UWV
Nina Zipfel
Mariska de Wit
Senior researchers in Public & Occupational Health
Amsterdam UMC
Read more →
Elmi Zwaan
Amsterdam UMC
Boris Nikolai Konrad
Memory Expert, Neuroscientist, Keynote speaker, 8x World Memory Champion (Team)
Donders Center for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Nijmegen
Read more →
Lisa van Heusden
Junior Doctor
UWV
Read more →

Packages

Package 1

1.020
WEDNESDAY
  • Participation
  • Buffet dinner
  • Hotelroom
THURSDAY
  • Participation
  • Buffet dinner
  • After-party
  • Hotelroom
FRIDAY
  • Participation

Package 2

820
WEDNESDAY
  • Participation
  • Buffet dinner
THURSDAY
  • Participation
  • Buffet dinner
  • After-party
FRIDAY
  • Participation

Package 3

760
WEDNESDAY
  • Participation
  • Buffet dinner
THURSDAY
  • Participation
FRIDAY
  • Participation

Package 4

420
WEDNESDAY
  • Participation
  • Buffet dinner
THURSDAY
  • Participation

Package 5

480
WEDNESDAY
  • Participation
  • Buffet dinner
THURSDAY
  • Participation
  • Buffet dinner
  • After-party

Package 6

400
THURSDAY
  • Participation
  • Buffet dinner
  • After-party

Package 7

680
THURSDAY
  • Participation
FRIDAY
  • Participation

Package 8

340
FRIDAY
  • Participation

Package 9

740
THURSDAY
  • Participation
  • Buffet dinner
  • After-party
FRIDAY
  • Participation

Package 10

340
THURSDAY
  • Participation

Including

  • All participants receive a certificate
  • Automatic CME points registration in GAIA
  • Free lunch and drinks during the congress
  • Free parkering on Van der Valk premises

Program

17:00 - 18:30

Registration

Lounge
Registration of your presence at the congress is done at the information desk on the first floor. 

18:30 - 20:30

Dinner buffet

Athena 1, 2 and 3
Once registered, your dinner buffet is on the same floor. 

20:30 - 20:35

Opening

Barcelona
Welcome to participants by the chairs of the organizing organizations.
 

20:35 - 21:35

New developments in obesity care: the role of the insurance doctor

Barcelona

Currently, half of all adults are overweight and more than 15% are obese. Obesity is a chronic endocrine disease that disrupts numerous fat and intestinal hormones, often increasing appetite. There are also new insights into how the notorious yo-yo effect occurs. It is well known that obesity leads to hundreds of other diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression, osteoarthritis, various forms of cancer, and reduced labor participation.

For an effective approach, it is important to screen for the causes and type of obesity. This can be done via www.checkoorzakenovergewicht.nl. Treatment can then be tailored accordingly (see www.behandelovergewicht.nl).

Developments in the field of obesity treatments are currently advancing rapidly. For example, there are new forms of lifestyle interventions and new obesity medications that are already available and reimbursed or will become available in the near future and also have a positive impact on people\'s ability to work. The role of the insurance doctor is also discussed in this context.

21:35 - 22:30

Dessert Buffet

Athena 1, 2 and 3
Dessert is served after the lecture. 

08:30 - 09:00

Registration

Lounge
Registration of your presence at the congress is done at the information desk on the first floor. 

09:00 - 09:15

Opening

Atlanta 1 and 2
Welcome to participants by the chairs of the organizing organizations.
 

09:15 - 10:00

Evolving perspective on Neurodivergence- Are ADHD and Autism still a risk to consider in UW?

Atlanta 1 and 2

The talk will explore the concept of neurodivergence, focusing on autism and ADHD in adults. The presentation sharpens the understanding of neurodivergence while addressing the associated risks, particularly regarding mortality and morbidity, and their implications for life and health insurance underwriting.

10:00 - 10:45

Are We Making It Hard to Be Honest? How Behavioural Science Can Encourage People to Be More Truthful About Their Health

Atlanta 1 and 2

Under-disclosure during underwriting and exaggeration in health claims point to a common challenge: encouraging honest responses. But could the way we design our forms and questions be part of the problem?

In this session, we’ll explore how common mistakes in health-related forms can unintentionally discourage people from telling the full truth about their health. Drawing on insights from behavioural science, we’ll unpack the psychological forces at play - like fear, confusion and mistrust – and show how thoughtful design, clear communication, and a more empathetic approach can lead to more accurate and reliable responses.

10:45 - 11:15

Coffee break

Lounge
Coffee is served in the lounge. 

11:15 - 12:00

Errors as a driver of nonlinear mortality risk artefacts: the serious problem behind an Ig Nobel prize

Atlanta 1 and 2

This talk will chart an unexpected course, from being an outsider, to the centre of a field, and back out again. I start by debunking both a Science paper that argues for a hard upper limit to human life, and a Nature paper that argues the inverse. Neither are retracted. Then, I annoy all sides of an unpleasant debate by providing a new theoretical finding on the limits of life: the idea there is one limit to survival and that there is there no limit to survival both appear to be wrong. I then show a theoretical result that reveals how extremely errors accumulate nonlinearly with age.

This model explains the existence of late-life mortality plateaus, invalidates late-life mortality models (like the Kannisto model), causes substantial problems when modelling longevity risk, and breaks population estimates. Finally, I demonstrate how this uncorrectable nonlinear error process has generated junk data on a shocking scale: supercentenarian databases are filled with ‘anomalies’, virtually all centenarian data appears to be undetected errors, and 71 years of UN data seems to be dominated by junk beyond the age of 80.

These theoretical and analytical findings have been awarded the Ig Nobel prize for my incorrigible, but unanswered, questions

12:00 - 12:45

Lecture Paulo Pinho

Atlanta 1 and 2
Content lecture Paulo Pinho

12:45 - 13:45

Luncheon

Athena 1, 2 and 3
Lunch 

13:45 - 14:30

The weight is over – a promising study into return-to-work strategies for disability claimants with metabolic dysfunction masquerading as multi co-morbidity

Atlanta 1 and 2

This session will explore the findings from a Swiss Re CMO audit of long term disability claims and how it led to the development of a metabolic rehab programme, with early results presented and discussion around RTW strategies.

14:30 - 14:40

Change rooms

Short time to go to the next room 
 

14:40 - 15:15

 

Parallelsessions

Workshop Karsten Filzmaier

Atlanta 1 and 2
Elaborating on his 9:15 lecture

Behavioural Science brought to life: hands-on workshop tackling a real customer pain-point

Calgary

In this interactive workshop session, we will go deeper into the world of behavioural science.

  • Using a real case study of an insurer struggling with customers' behaviour at the point of claim, you will have the opportunity to work through this challenge with others.
  • Learn what it looks like to diagnose the behaviours barriers to the desired behaviour, then come up with ideas that would overcome these barriers.
  • You're guaranteed to go back to the office with ideas of where to apply similar ideas to your day-job!

Nonstationarity in mortality and fertility patterns

Barcelona
The predictability of mortality patterns – and to a lesser extent fertility - is subject to substantial optimism in the wake of new algorithmic advances. This is especially the wake of AI and machine learning hype. Yet the optimistic prediction of these traits forgets past advances, ignoring both known limitations and novel discoveries on the limits of predictability. The limits of predictability are fundamentally constrained, not overcome by AI, and are constrained by both noise and environmental nonstationarity. Here, I discuss these limitations in experimental (biological) contexts and how they reflect fundamental challenges for mortality and fertility predictions in people.

Workshop Paulo Pinho

Athena 3
Deepening his 12:00 lecture

Workshop Deborah Smith

Athena 4
More on the subjects discussed at 13:45

15:15 - 15:45

Tea break

Atlanta 1 and 2
Coffee and tea are waiting for you in the lounge 

15:45 - 16:20

 

Parallelsessions

Workshop Karsten Filzmaier

Atlanta 1 and 2
Elaborating on his 9:15 lecture

Behavioural Science brought to life: hands-on workshop tackling a real customer pain-point

Calgary

In this interactive workshop session, we will go deeper into the world of behavioural science.

  • Using a real case study of an insurer struggling with customers' behaviour at the point of claim, you will have the opportunity to work through this challenge with others.
  • Learn what it looks like to diagnose the behaviours barriers to the desired behaviour, then come up with ideas that would overcome these barriers.
  • You're guaranteed to go back to the office with ideas of where to apply similar ideas to your day-job!

Nonstationarity in mortality and fertility patterns

Barcelona
The predictability of mortality patterns – and to a lesser extent fertility - is subject to substantial optimism in the wake of new algorithmic advances. This is especially the wake of AI and machine learning hype. Yet the optimistic prediction of these traits forgets past advances, ignoring both known limitations and novel discoveries on the limits of predictability. The limits of predictability are fundamentally constrained, not overcome by AI, and are constrained by both noise and environmental nonstationarity. Here, I discuss these limitations in experimental (biological) contexts and how they reflect fundamental challenges for mortality and fertility predictions in people.

Workshop Paulo Pinho

Athena 3
Elaborating on his 12:00 lecture

Workshop Deborah Smith

Athena 4
More on the subjects discussed at 13:45

16:20 - 16:30

Change rooms

Short time to go to the next room 
 

16:30 - 17:15

Cocktails and Covid 19 Pounds: The Essential Ingredients of Early Cirrhosis

Atlanta 1 and 2

Discerning advanced liver fibrosis can be challenging and due to increasing prevalence of MAFLD along with increased trends on alcohol use, we should expect early claims.

In this session, we will explore causes of liver disease in developing and developed countries with emphasis on how to recognize the red flags at time of underwriting that should prompt high suspect for advanced liver fibrosis and thereby protect your business from early claims.

17:15 - 17:30

Closing

Atlanta 1 and 2
Closing statements from our Chair of the day
 

17:30 - 18:30

Drinks

Lounge
Please go to the lounge for beverages and other refreshments 

18:30 - 20:00

Dinner

Athena 1, 2 and 3
Dinner 

20:00 - 20:30

Dessert Buffet

Lounge
Dessert is served after the lecture. 

20:30 - 00:30

Party

Atlanta 1 and 2
Party 

08:30 - 09:00

Registration

Lounge
Registration of your presence at the congress is done at the information desk on the first floor. 

09:00 - 09:05

Opening

Atlanta 1 and 2
Welcome to participants by the chair of the day.
 

09:05 - 09:50

When the system grinds to a halt: how we can work together to get healthcare moving again

Atlanta 1 and 2

An administrative perspective on quality, responsibility, and innovation

Healthcare is stuck. We see it in hospital care, long-term care, and also in social security. Systems that were once intended to protect are now sometimes hindering action. Responsibilities are fragmented, professionals are caught between protocols and production requirements, and citizens get lost in bureaucracy. Kjeld Aij, director at Erasmus MC and PhD in lean and leadership in healthcare, takes a fresh, systemic look at the foundations of our healthcare system. Why are things getting stuck? What is going on with the WIA? And what can we learn from hospital experiences about focusing on quality and value without getting bogged down in control freakery or management jargon?

In this stimulating lecture, Kjeld Aij takes us through sharp observations, confrontational examples, and hopeful perspectives for action. An invitation to contribute, from everyone\'s unique role, to a healthcare system that is once again coherent, dynamic, and meaningful.

09:50 - 10:35

Life after childhood cancer

Atlanta 1 and 2

This presentation will discuss the late effects of childhood cancer treatment and the care required. It will answer questions such as: What late effects occur? How often do they occur? Who is at risk of late effects? What problems do survivors encounter in their lives after childhood cancer?

10:35 - 11:05

Coffee break

Lounge
Coffee is served in the lounge. 

11:05 - 11:50

Lecture Richard Jaspers

Atlanta 1 and 2
Content lecture Richard Jaspers

11:50 - 12:35

Functional Neurological Disorders (FND) Uncovered: A Neurological Reality without Structural Brain Damage

Atlanta 1 and 2

Functional Neurological Disorders (FND) are still often misunderstood or misinterpreted. However, in recent years, a significant paradigm shift has taken place. FND is now regarded as a neurological disease. Furthermore, the diagnosis of FND is no longer one of exclusion, but rather one based on positive diagnostic criteria.

This presentation offers insight into the neurological reality of FND and its implications for healthcare and policy.

12:35 - 13:35

Luncheon

Lounge
Lunch 

13:35 - 14:20

Irregular Working hours and Health: Lessons learned from Aviation

Atlanta 1 and 2

Alwin van Drongelen will present about the impact of irregular working hours on employee health and well-being. With his experience and knowledge from within the aviation sector and various types of high-risk professions, he will describe the short-term and long-term effects of irregular working hour exposure, and how these effects relate to older employees and those with chronic conditions.

His presentation will also explore the possibilities to mitigate the negative effects of irregular working hours, and the policy that is applied within aviation. Finally, the implications for occupational health insurance will be addressed.

14:20 - 14:30

Change rooms

Short time to go to the next room 
 

14:30 - 15:05

 

Parallelsessions

“Yes, no, or maybe?”: update on recognizing return-to-work mode with the REMODE tool in people without (permanent) employment who have mental health issues

Atlanta 1 and 2

REMODE is a validated checklist for recognizing the return-to-work mode in people on sick leave without (permanent) employment who have psychological complaints. The instrument was developed on the basis of qualitative and quantitative research and exhibits strong psychometric properties. Sickness benefit professionals, including insurance doctors, can use REMODE to systematically assess perceptions, cognitions, and attitudes about returning to work and tailor reintegration guidance accordingly. The first results of an implementation study within the UWV, focused on effectiveness and practical applicability within insurance medical practice, are expected in the fall of 2025.

Feasibility of the BAR tool and guidelines for interprofessional collaboration during the reintegration process

Calgary

In order to improve cooperation between company doctors (CDs), insurance doctors (IDs), and occupational experts (OEs), the BAR instrument and multidisciplinary guidelines were developed based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). The aim of this study was to investigate the comprehensibility, applicability, and acceptance of the BAR instrument and the guidelines among professionals.

Factors influencing the implementation of eHealth interventions aimed at improving labor force participation: preliminary results of a scoping review

Barcelona

Participation in work is important because it contributes to people's health and well-being. However, sustainable work participation is often complex for people with a chronic condition or disability. EHealth interventions can improve the work participation of these people. However, successful implementation of these interventions in practice often does not take place or takes a long time.

Knowledge about which factors influence the implementation of eHealth interventions aimed at improving work participation is largely lacking, but could be used to promote implementation.

Associations between social insurance literacy and perceived justice and perceivedfairness in a work disability claim setting

Athena 3

Many individuals applying for work disability benefits do not have suƯicient knowledge and abilities to successfully interact with the social insurance system, which in turn could lead to feelings of injustice or unfairness.

To examine the associations between social insurance literacy (SIL) and perceived justice and perceived fairness, a cross-sectional survey study was conducted among clients applying for work disability benefits in the Dutch social insurance system.

In this presentation, the results will be presented and we will discuss how social insurance literacy is associated with perceptions of justice or fairness.

Institutional trust in agencies involved in disability assessments: findings from a systematic literature review

Athena 4

Trust in public agencies involved in disability assessments and income support is essential for open communication, engagement, and sustainable participation. In this systematic literature review, we investigated which factors influence this trust.

During the presentation, we will discuss which factors influence institutional trust according to international studies. We will also discuss what insurance doctors themselves can do in practice to strengthen this trust and thus better support the participation of workers and job seekers.

Interprofessional learning as the key to effective collaboration in work and health: insights from Project IPL

Atlanta 1 and 2

Effective collaboration between insurance doctors, company doctors, and occupational experts is crucial for reintegration and sustainable employability, but is still rarely applied in the field of labor and health. The Interprofessional Learning (IPL) project developed three learning activities: interactive training, e-learning about collaborating with the BAR instrument, and a methodology for interprofessional case discussion.

During this session, the development experiences and lessons learned from Project IPL will be shared. The presentation will contribute to greater awareness of the importance of good interprofessional collaboration in reintegration and offer concrete tools for strengthening interprofessional collaboration in the field of work and health.

Complaints: part of the job?! Impact of non-disciplinary complaints on the mental well-being and professional conduct of (insurance) doctors at the UWV

Atlanta 1 and 2

It is well known that disciplinary complaints have a major impact on doctors, but non-disciplinary complaints are much more common in insurance medicine. However, the potential impact of this type of complaint has been little researched.

This parallel session presents the results of a qualitative study into the impact of non-disciplinary complaints on the mental well-being and professional conduct of UWV (insurance) physicians. This study was conducted as part of postgraduate medical training and was awarded the Talmapenning in 2025.

15:05 - 15:35

Tea break

Lounge
Coffee and tea are waiting for you in the lounge 

15:35 - 16:10

 

Parallelsessions

“Yes, no, or maybe?”: update on recognizing return-to-work mode with the REMODE tool in people without (permanent) employment who have mental health issues

Atlanta 1 and 2

REMODE is a validated checklist for recognizing the return-to-work mode in people on sick leave without (permanent) employment who have psychological complaints. The instrument was developed on the basis of qualitative and quantitative research and exhibits strong psychometric properties. Sickness benefit professionals, including insurance doctors, can use REMODE to systematically assess perceptions, cognitions, and attitudes about returning to work and tailor reintegration guidance accordingly. The first results of an implementation study within the UWV, focused on effectiveness and practical applicability within insurance medical practice, are expected in the fall of 2025.

Feasibility of the BAR tool and guidelines for interprofessional collaboration during the reintegration process

Calgary

In order to improve cooperation between company doctors (CDs), insurance doctors (IDs), and occupational experts (OEs), the BAR instrument and multidisciplinary guidelines were developed based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). The aim of this study was to investigate the comprehensibility, applicability, and acceptance of the BAR instrument and the guidelines among professionals.

Factors influencing the implementation of eHealth interventions aimed at improving labor force participation: preliminary results of a scoping review

Barcelona

Participation in work is important because it contributes to people's health and well-being. However, sustainable work participation is often complex for people with a chronic condition or disability. EHealth interventions can improve the work participation of these people. However, successful implementation of these interventions in practice often does not take place or takes a long time.

Knowledge about which factors influence the implementation of eHealth interventions aimed at improving work participation is largely lacking, but could be used to promote implementation.

Associations between social insurance literacy and perceived justice and perceivedfairness in a work disability claim setting

Atlanta 1 and 2

Many individuals applying for work disability benefits do not have suƯicient knowledge and abilities to successfully interact with the social insurance system, which in turn could lead to feelings of injustice or unfairness.

To examine the associations between social insurance literacy (SIL) and perceived justice and perceived fairness, a cross-sectional survey study was conducted among clients applying for work disability benefits in the Dutch social insurance system.

In this presentation, the results will be presented and we will discuss how social insurance literacy is associated with perceptions of justice or fairness.

Institutional trust in agencies involved in disability assessments: findings from a systematic literature review

Athena 3

Trust in public agencies involved in disability assessments and income support is essential for open communication, engagement, and sustainable participation. In this systematic literature review, we investigated which factors influence this trust.

During the presentation, we will discuss which factors influence institutional trust according to international studies. We will also discuss what insurance doctors themselves can do in practice to strengthen this trust and thus better support the participation of workers and job seekers.

Interprofessional learning as the key to effective collaboration in work and health: insights from Project IPL

Athena 4

Effective collaboration between insurance doctors, company doctors, and occupational experts is crucial for reintegration and sustainable employability, but is still rarely applied in the field of labor and health. The Interprofessional Learning (IPL) project developed three learning activities: interactive training, e-learning about collaborating with the BAR instrument, and a methodology for interprofessional case discussion.

During this session, the development experiences and lessons learned from Project IPL will be shared. The presentation will contribute to greater awareness of the importance of good interprofessional collaboration in reintegration and offer concrete tools for strengthening interprofessional collaboration in the field of work and health.

Complaints: part of the job?! Impact of non-disciplinary complaints on the mental well-being and professional conduct of (insurance) doctors at the UWV

Atlanta 1 and 2

It is well known that disciplinary complaints have a major impact on doctors, but non-disciplinary complaints are much more common in insurance medicine. However, the potential impact of this type of complaint has been little researched.

This parallel session presents the results of a qualitative study into the impact of non-disciplinary complaints on the mental well-being and professional conduct of UWV (insurance) physicians. This study was conducted as part of postgraduate medical training and was awarded the Talmapenning in 2025.

16:10 - 16:20

Change rooms

Short time to go to the next room 
 

Lecture Boris Nikolai Konrad

Atlanta 1 and 2
Content lecture Boris Nikolai Konrad

17:05 - 17:15

Closing

Atlanta 1 and 2
Closing statements from our Chair of the day
 

17:15 - 18:00

Drinks

Lounge
Please go to the lounge for beverages and other refreshments 

Organisation

Harrie Veneman
Monique Piegza
Jan Buitenhuis
Astrid Blaauw
Roshni Matawlie
Trix van der Eerden
Linda ten Hove
Elles van Ringelenstein
Petr Pliva
Hanneke Leunisse
Erik Grobben

Venue

Van der Valk Hotel Almere

Veluwezoom 45, 1327 AK Almere

Nearby hotel

Best Western Plaza Hotel is located next to Almere Central Station. This year, we are offering a shuttle buses service between Hotel Valk der Valk and Almere Central Station/Best Western Hotel. Click the photo to book a room using their website.

Best Western Plus Plaza

Mandelaplein 1, 1314 CG Almere
+31 36 303 6200

Canceling

  1. The congress fee will not be refunded and remains due and payable when cancellation occurs after October 15th, regardless of the reason for cancellation.
  2. The congress fee will not be refunded and remains due and payable when participant does not show up at the congress, regardless of the reason for absence.
  3. Your registration may be transferred to someone else when cancelling after October 15th. The required details must be submitted using this link not later than October 31st for a registration transfer to be successful.
    Registration transfer is only possible once a receipt of payment is received vie e-mail from the DICIM/VG DAGEN treasurer.

Sponsors & Partners

Want to become a sponsor? Please contact our secretarial office.