Services for general practitioners

How it works, in short

  • As a general practitioner, you refer a patient to us via ZorgDomein (under 'Medisch specialistische zorg', then choose a random specialisation.)
  • You give a referral letter to the patient
  • Check the telephone number of the patient, if there is a caregiver, please note their telephone number in the referral
  • When the patient books an appointment with a general practitioner in their own language via this website, the patient will need the referral number
  • Then one or more consultations take place (depending on the needs)
  • During the consultation, the patient receives an explanation in their own language about the diagnosis or treatment
  • After the consultations, you will receive a report via Zorgmail
  • Advice is given according to the NHG guidelines
  • This also discusses the wishes of the patient
  • We offer support for other GP's. We have a supportive role and do not take over the patient doctor relationship.

AlloMedics was founded to support fellow general practitioners in offering appropriate care to non-native speakers (with a language and/or culture barrier). We know from our own experience how nice it is when a colleague who speaks the patient's language helps to finfd a good solution when the care threatens to get stuck.

A survey among 4000 general practitioners shows that 86 percent need support from a colleague language GP at least once a month for providing appropriate care to non-native speakers. AlloMedics now has language GPs available in more than 45 different languages to contribute ideas about the care of the non-Dutch speaking patient at the request of their own GP, after horizontal referral.

Examples where language and culture barriers can complicate the conversation include:

  • For psychosocial problems. These patients often present with various, functional or non-functional, somatic complaints;
  • Support in case of chronic illness, to motivate the patient to be involved in their own treatment;
  • When a vicious circle arises due to multiple referrals to, among other things, the second line and the patient keeps coming back with the same complaint;
  • Documenting your patient's history and current medical situation at the first registration in the practice, when they are a newcomer in the Netherlands;
  • Where miscommunication due to a language and/or cultural barrier could possibly result into a standstill of providing care;
  • When there is a need for support from a fellow language GP, also in all other (complex) cases.

In these types of conversations, it is important as a medical practitioner to be able to communicate directly with the patient. A conversation is essential in which the GP knows both the medical language and the language of the patient, in order to make a correct translation of the medically relevant information.

When conducting consultations with a non-Dutch speaking patient, the language GP will ensure correct and understandable translation back to both the referring GP (in the form of advice in accordance with the NHG guideline and options within the healthcare system) and to the patient (according to context, language and culture).

Referrals are made via ZorgDomein (see text on the right).

Because the language GPs live all over the Netherlands, live consultations are currently difficult to realize. We therefore conduct the consultations via video calls. However, if the patient is unable to use a smartphone or computer and/or illiterate (and also without a caregiver), the consultation will take place by telephone.

After this, an extensive report of the conversation, the conclusions and the advice is sent back to your own GP via Zorgmail. If, as a result of the conversation, there are still questions from the referring general practitioner, the language GP can be contacted by telephone.