Fabienne Magdelijns

Assistant Professor

Dr Fabienne Magdelijns obtained her medical degree from Maastricht University in the Netherlands. Her research primarily focuses on healthcare-related adverse events, with a particular emphasis on the frail older population.

She completed her PhD (title: ‘Health-care-related adverse events leading to (re)hospitalization') under the supervision of Prof. Coen Stehouwer, Dr Patricia Stassen and Dr Evelien Pijpers at the Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht UMC+.

Fabiene currently serves as an internist with a specialization in geriatric care at Maastricht UMC+. She leads the Geriatric Medicine section and started in May 2026 as Medical Director of Expertise Unit for Transmural and Paramedical Care of Maastricht UMC+.

Her current research centres on the DOAC-FRAIL study, which aims to improve the safe prescribing of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in frail older patients. In December 2024, she was awarded a grant from the Netherlands Thrombosis Foundation to conduct a multinational randomized controlled trial. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of a Single Measurement and Adjustment Strategy for DOACs in this vulnerable population. The study started in 2026 at Maastricht UMC+ and surrounding nursing homes. By the end of 2026, additional sites are expected to open for inclusion. The first participants in Belgium are expected to be enrolled in early 2027.

Another of Fabienne’s research lines focuses on improving the organization of transmural care for frail older adults. In 2025, she secured funding from the Citrien Fund to implement the GOLD Clinic. The GOLD Clinic is a new model of care in which a geriatrician works alongside the general practitioner (GP), holding joint consultations within the GP practice. The first GOLD Clinic was launched in January 2026, and the pilot is expected to run for approximately two years.