CARE CONCEPT GAINS FOOTHOLD IN THE NETHERLANDS

Utrecht, May 22, 2024 - Arts en Zorg Groep is the largest primary care organization in the Netherlands and in 2023 launched the hybrid care concept Healthy.co.uk. Through the user-friendly app, patients can chat directly with the GP and, if necessary, an appointment is made at the patient's own practice. In the first year, as many as 75% of care questions were handled by GPs via chat, resulting in 40% fewer consultations at the physical consultation hour. This means more time for the patient. 

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Photo: Patient video calls with doctor - Healthy.co.uk

Less pressure on caregivers

Patients can ask their non-urgent care questions directly to a GP at Gezond.nl via the app. If necessary, the GP schedules an appointment at the patient's regular local practice. The app is a proven, secure functional application from Finland with more than 2.1 million users, and has also been active in the Netherlands since early 2023. This hybrid form of care helps significantly in reducing the high pressure on healthcare providers, but it also offers benefits for the patient. Patients can submit their non-urgent care questions to an online GP wherever and whenever it is convenient for them, including evenings and weekends. 

Care chats with general practitioners  

Amon van den Borg, CEO Arts and Care Group, on Gezond.nl: "This concept is an example of how we translate real-world experience into a digital solution that makes care affordable, accessible and more efficient. Since its introduction, it has resulted in thousands of care-related chats, and the time saved benefits patients at physical practices."

Positive inspection report on hybrid care

On Jan. 31, the Health Care and Youth Inspectorate published DocLine Utrecht's inspection report. The 'digital first' GP practice, which is part of Gezond.nl, scores well on all tested points. From staff to accessibility and from medication safety to digital care provision. Sanne van Duin, director of Gezond.nl, sees the inspection report as an important confirmation: "The trend toward digital care has been going on for some time, and the reports about it are by no means always positive. What this inspection report shows is that providing hybrid primary care can indeed work, if well-designed and well-executed."