Self-care

To help you with your health and wellbeing we have placed a number of links on our website where you can find targeted information.

In addition, you can find general information or assistance in your own file or with other partners in the healthcare chain:

Free access: Physiotherapy / Sports doctor / Driving license medical examination

Did you know that physiotherapists and sports doctors have been directly accessible for years without a referral from a general practitioner? Since January 1, 2006, direct access to physiotherapy has been introduced in the Netherlands. From that date onwards, patients aged 18 and older no longer need a referral for non-chronic physiotherapy.

You can make an appointment with a sports doctor yourself. Since November 2019, you no longer need a referral from your general practitioner.

For driving license medical examinations, you can contact a certified medical examiner in Alphen aan den Rijn through various specialized agencies, including one at the Euromarkt.

Waiting lists in healthcare

Did you know that health insurers can help you with waiting list mediation? Your own health insurer can also assist you in finding another healthcare provider they cover. This service is offered free of charge, and insurers have care coaches available to support you.

Passenger transport

Don’t have transportation and rely on family for it? You can use the Participemobiel, with a volunteer driver, to get to the municipality, the doctor at the general practice, or the hospital. Just make sure to call in time to arrange transportation.

The phone number of the Participemobiel is 06 15441813. Please call on weekdays between 9 AM and 1 PM. The link is: https://participealphen.nu/anwb-automaatje

Some terms and laws explained:

The National Switching Point (LSP)

The National Switching Point (LSP) securely regulates the messages between healthcare providers. Via the LSP the healthcare providers can view medical data necessary for your treatment, but only after you have given permission in advance. This concerns the most important information out of your GP medical records, as well as an overview of the medication you use. The LSP also keeps track of:

• Where patient data is available
• Which data has been requested
• Who has requested patient data

Consent
No medical data is stored at the LSP. The medical data remains in the file at the general practitioner or at the pharmacy. Healthcare providers may only share your data if you have given consent for it. You can manage this consent yourself through the website volgjezorg.nl. You can also submit a completed and signed consent form to your general practitioner and pharmacy. Through the access overview, you can see which healthcare providers have looked at your data. You can also see which data they have viewed.

Persoonlijke gezondheidsomgeving ( PGO):

A PGO (Personal Health Environment) gives you, as a patient, insight into your own health. You are the owner of your PGO. Through MedMij, you can securely retrieve medical data from your general practitioner, and soon also from hospitals, etc. You can also add personal measurements or keep a journal. The data you enter into your PGO is not automatically included in your medical file at the general practitioner.

Personal Health Environment (PGO)

A PGO (Personal Health Environment) gives you, as a patient, insight into your own health. You are the owner of your PGO. Through MedMij, you can securely retrieve medical data from your general practitioner, and soon also from hospitals, etc. You can also add personal measurements or keep a journal. The data you enter into your PGO is not automatically included in your medical file at the general practitioner.

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

This law aligns with the digital age we live in. The law gives you more rights and organizations more responsibility to handle your (digital) personal data carefully and to inform you properly about it. In the Netherlands, the GDPR is enforced by the Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP).

Data about a person’s health are special personal data. This health data is in a medical record, for example. Special personal data are extra protected by the General Data Protection Regulation (AVG). The General Data Protection Regulation Implementation Act (UAVG Article 30, paragraph 5) states that social workers are allowed to process such special personal data, in addition to health data.

Wet Geneeskundige Behandelovereenkomst (WGBO)

This law explains the rights and obligations of patients and caregivers, as well as the confidentiality duties for healthcare providers.

For example, this law states that patients have a right to information and to consent to treatment.

The duty of confidentiality means that healthcare providers may only share health data with others with the patient’s consent or if required by law. Different professions are subject to a form of confidentiality obligation, but this is also determined by the patient’s age.

0-12 years: If your child is under 12 years old, you make decisions about your child’s medical treatment. Therefore, you have access to your child’s medical file.

12-16 years: If your child is 12 but not yet 16, the child’s consent is required to access the child’s medical file. The only exception is if you, as a parent, need information to give consent for a treatment.

16 years and older: If your child is 16 years old or older, you may not access the medical file unless your child gives consent.