Vilans primarily works for professionals and managers in care providing organisations in long-term care, primary care, social care, organisations of volunteers in this field, user organisations, health care insurers and authorities at local, provincial, national and EU level. Vilans is mainly funded by the Dutch government.

Vilans is well-known in the Netherlands for running large scale and nationwide implementation programs, such as the National Dementia Program (in which in 90% of the Dutch regions integrated care networks were set up), the Care for Better Program (around 700 organisations participated in this quality improvement program) and Up to Care! (more than 460 long-term care organisations have been transformed or are currently transforming to become sustainable organisations). Vilans has participated in several EU projects, as a scientific director (CARMEN, FP 5) and as participants in INTERLINKS and PROGRESS. Vilans has large digital dissemination expertise.