Digital contact with the GP

In the queue to make an appointment with the GP, leave a message on the repeat prescription line or be available at an exact moment for the results of a blood test. All things that can be made easier through digital contact with the general practitioner.

Digital contact does not completely replace the current contact with the GP, of course, but there are options that make the service easier. It often saves waiting on the phone and sometimes even a visit to the practice. Some possibilities are:

• Make an appointment. On the basis of a kind of agenda module, you choose a suitable and available moment for an appointment with the general practitioner.
• Request repeat prescription. You request a repeat prescription via a website. The repeat prescription line or with the empty box along the practice is a thing of the past.
• E-consultation. The possibility to ask a question to the GP at any time. He/she then answers these at a suitable moment for him/her. Ideal for questions where a visit or phone call is actually not necessary.
• Video consultation. You can contact your GP by means of a video connection. It saves a visit to the general practitioner and is still slightly more personal than a telephone conversation. However, few general practitioners still use this form of contact.
• Medication passport. An overview of all medication used and any information about the medication. Handy for example to print out and take with you on holiday.
• View lab results. The results of lab tests are available online. This way you don’t have to be available for a phone call at a specific time.
• Medical information. Additional information about, for example, a disorder can be found online.

These descriptions are only possibilities. This does not mean that all options are possible with every doctor. The online activities differ greatly per general practice. Some GPs lead the way and offer many options. Other GPs are less active online or do not even apply any options yet. It is best to check your GP’s website to see if anything is mentioned about it or to contact the practice to inquire about digital activities.

Contact with a general practitioner is always personal and confidential. This is of course also the case with digital contact. It is therefore important that the contact takes place via a secure environment. For example, an e-consultation should not take place via e-mail, but via a special system or website. Many general practitioners use MijnGezondheid.net for this.

MijnGezondheid.net is one of the possible patient portals that a general practitioner can use. It is a secure website, where you can log in. Does your GP also use this? Then you first have to register once through your GP. Most GPs can do this via their website. Once that’s done, you can always log in to MyHealth.net.

Patient Federation Netherlands also sees digital care as an important tool. Hence the federation DigitalCareGuide.nl has started. This is a website that maps digital healthcare products in the Netherlands. You can go here if you want to know more about the various digital healthcare services and products, and where these services are offered.