In the coming years, thirteen frequently performed medical procedures in Dutch hospitals will be removed from clinical guidelines. These are treatments and follow-up practices that, according to doctors, do not improve patient outcomes. Eleven medical associations have decided to eliminate them, marking a shift toward more meaningful and patient-centered care.

Less is more
The initiative is part of Less is More, a project originally launched by gastroenterologists but now embraced by multiple specialties. Its goal is to stop or reduce unnecessary care that has become routine over the years, despite lacking proven benefit.

Fewer follow-ups
One example is in ovarian cancer follow-up care. Until now, patients were scheduled for multiple routine check-ups after treatment. There is no evidence for the frequency of these check-ups and previous research has shown that these check-ups do not contribute to the detection of a recurrence. Research by Dr. Annemijn Aarts, gynecologist at Amsterdam UMC Cancer Center, showed that patients often felt the hospital visits did not meet their real needs. Many wished for other types of support, which hospitals cannot provide, yet they still had to attend check-ups every three months.

The Less is More project will begin in January 2026. In this 2,5 year project, a national group of patients and healthcare professionals involved in ovarian cancer follow-up will determine how follow-up care can be reduced and under what conditions it can be de-implemented. Ultimately, this will hopefully lead to fewer follow-ups.

In the media
Dr. Aarts’ findings have received attention in Dutch media, including de Volkskrant, NOS.nl, and RTL Nieuws.

Read the Volkskrant article here: Het mes gaat in de onnodige zorg: deze handelingen gaan artsen niet meer uitvoeren | de Volkskrant