11-12-2009 om 10:00 by Amanda Potter

After procrastinating for several months, my chronic wrist problems finally forced me to explore Dutch healthcare and make my first appointment with a primary care physician.



Finding a Doctor

Dutch healthcare operates a bit like an HMO in the US. One of the key components is to find a primary care physician (huisart) since this is the person who will handle all your medical care from now on. You’ll want someone nearby and since insurances are universally accepted that should be no problem.

It is generally suggested that you ask a friend or neighbor to recommend a huisartspraktijk (doctor’s office). This is tricky for an expat who has not joined a Dutch family and may not have made many friends yet. We found our doctor’s office, Dokter Van Kleef Gezondheidscentrum, through an online database from our insurance company with a little creative Google Translating.

A Dutch neighbor also suggested visiting the huisartpraktijk to become a new patient. Many doctors already have full dockets, so they may be more receptive to a face-to-face request. It also meant I could see the office and pick up starter paperwork: a couple of contact forms with a few medical questions. I filled out the paperwork, dropped off copies of my US records, gave the name of a nearby pharmacy, and made my first appointment.

The First Appointment

Your first appointment is really a consultation with your new huisart before you are added to the system. That way you can meet and decide if you’re comfortable with your physician before taking your clothes off. It also provided my new doctor with the chance to discuss my medical history and needs. Unless you’re seriously ill, this first appointment won’t result in any treatments. You’ll need to make another one.

I was surprised that unlike in the US, and even at our Dutch dental office, I did not have to fill out a form with 50 questions about my medical history. The doctor just asked about the health of my direct relatives and what major illnesses had cropped up in my immediate family. My questions were answered and while the meeting was certainly formal, I didn’t feel rushed.

Non-Intervention Medicine

There is clearly a non-interventionist attitude towards medical care here in the Netherlands, or at least here in Maastricht. My doctor told me that there is no regular exam necessary for women until age 30. At age 45 is when they start watching your risk factors for things such as cancer or cardiovascular disease (unless you have strong risk factors). This is very different from the US where risk factors are frequently monitored close and early. My expected interaction with my huisart appears to boil down to one thing: “Only when you are sick.”
This is not to say that you huisart will ignore your needs when you do have a problem.  I’ve had a positive experience working with doctors and the Academic Hospital in Maastricht on my wrist.

This article is edited and reprinted from Maastricht Minutiae and the original may be read here.

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