nov 16, 2020
GPs in the Central Brabant region can now digitally ask a medical question about a patient to the specialists in the ETZ (Elisabeth-TweeSteden Hospital). They will then immediately receive a digital consultation. As a result, fewer patients need to go to the hospital and still receive the correct treatment.
Photo: ETZ Photography & Film / Maria van der Heyden
The Digital Advice Consult (DAC) offers the approximately 160 general practices in the region affiliated with RCH the opportunity to obtain advice from a specialist in the hospital. “We will start with the specialties neurology, cardiology, rheumatology, internal medicine, gastrointestinal liver diseases and the pain center. A number of specialisms are added every month ”, says ETZ rheumatologist Remco Luijten. Who was intensively involved in the preparations for the DAC. “The DAC helps general practitioners and specialists to provide patients with the right care in the right place.”
Asking a question
General practitioner Esther van Laarhoven also contributed to the realization of the DAC and expects this through the digital consultation. The contact between general practitioner and specialist in daily practice will run more smoothly. “If I have doubts about referring a patient to the hospital, I can call a specialist, but I don’t always get them on the line immediately. And if the specialist then calls back, sometimes I am busy with another patient at that moment. Now I can ask my question via the ZorgDomein program. This also has the advantage that the correspondence about the patient is properly recorded immediately. ”
The DAC is only used for non-urgent questions. The specialist responds quickly: the GP can expect his medical advice within five working days.
Benefits
Project leader Karen Verspaandonk expects that many thousands of patients will not have to visit the hospital because of the DAC annual list. “Because the GP remains the primary practitioner, the DAC has no influence on the patient’s own risk. Agreements have been made with health insurers CZ and VGZ about the reimbursement of digital consultations. ” According to Karen, the DAC offers even more advantages: “Keeping patients in primary care – at the GP’s – has a positive effect on admission times to the hospital. This means that other patients do not have to wait as long ”. Luijten adds: “In addition, the DAC promotes collaboration between GPs and specialists and contributes to increasing the knowledge of GPs”.
Samendraads
The DAC was established under the flag of Samendraads, a partnership between Zorggroep RCH (in which general practitioners are united), Zorgbelang Brabant, ETZ and the health insurers CZ and VGZ. Together they work on the best possible care for all residents in the Central Brabant region. At the right time and the right place.
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