The goal in this work package is to shift from focusing on mechanistic, disease-centered outcomes to patient-centered treatment models. The WP emphasizes measurable goals like integrating patient-reported outcomes and complex data (e.g., psychological and social factors) to enhance treatment personalization while fostering critical reflection on the specific limitations and challenges of (re-)classifying medical conditions.

Current trials focus on disease mechanisms and objective outcomes, but patient perceptions and expectations of treatments are crucial for evaluating effectiveness. We aim to elevate the patient perspective, moving it from a secondary endpoint to a core focus, guiding future research and policy.

The doctoral candidates will develop qualitative evaluations of "disease perception" and "expectations" related to biological treatments and contribute to methodological and conceptual innovations regarding disease (re-)classification. The projects are performed by labs at KU Leuven under the primary supervision of Kaat Alaerts, at the University of Bielefeld with Lara Keuck, at the Bordeaux Montaigne University with Steeves Demazeux, and at the UMC in Utrecht with Edwin van Dellen, with secondments and interactions throughout the network and associated partners.

The WP relies on collaboration between neuroscientists and philosophers of medicine to promote critical discussion on experimental design and translation, as well as dissemination of insights from these practices to wider academic and non-academic audiences.