During pregnancy, midwives and general practitioners frequently call back and forth to coordinate care for the woman. “Besides the fact that this costs a lot of valuable care time on both sides, it often happens that the care providers are not available for consultation at that time,” according to the collaborating parties.
mutual information
That is why the GPs and midwives in Noord-Holland entered into a dialogue with each other about how they can better organize care during pregnancy. This has led to regional cooperation agreements that describe how GPs and obstetricians keep each other informed of important events concerning the pregnant woman. This includes consultation with colleagues and informing each other about relevant medical and psychosocial matters, such as the transfer at the start of the pregnancy, medication prescription, laboratory results and the birth report.
Relieve the doctor’s burden
In drawing up the cooperation agreements, it was also examined how midwives can relieve GPs and the GP post. One of the tasks that the midwife will take over is to perform a test if a urinary tract infection is suspected. Where previously the GP administered this test, the obstetrician will now perform the test according to the NHG standard, including a dip slide and dispatch to the laboratory. After diagnosis of a urinary tract infection, further treatment is carried out by the general practitioner.
It is also good for the expectant mother to contact the obstetrician if a urinary tract infection is suspected, because symptoms of a bladder infection can resemble premature contractions. “Thanks to these collaboration agreements, we can spend more time on the pregnant woman. The lines are shorter, so that coordination about, for example, medication or referrals runs more smoothly,” says Alwine Ages, midwife at Partners in Midwifery. “A visit by a pregnant woman to the general practitioner is no longer necessary when it comes to ruling out a urinary tract infection. The process of these collaboration agreements has also resulted in better knowledge of each other’s expertise, which improves collaboration.”
Partners
The agreements were made by a working group of GPs’ organization Noord-Kennemerland, GPs’ organization Kop van Noord-Holland and Primary Care Midwives Organization Northwest with support from consultancy and implementation agency Zorg Optimisatie Noord-Holland.
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