Many independent mental health professionals are not yet familiar with the efficient use of the electronic patient file (EPD) and all its functionalities. Since last year, they have been able to turn to the VG Digitaal program for support. 'Suddenly, they see many possibilities in the system.'
The VG Digitaal program, which stands for VrijGevestigde Digitaal, was established by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. It is intended to support independent mental health professionals psychologists, psychotherapists and psychiatrists in making optimal use of their EPD and to exchange digital data with their patients.
The ministry has transferred its implementation to the trade associations LVVP, NIP and NVvP. They have set up a special programme office for this purpose. It is a follow-up to the VG VIPP programme. This is one of the acceleration programmes of VWS to help healthcare professionals safely exchange health data with patients via MedMij to a personal health environment (PGO).
Paper file formation
“But when you can hardly see any data in a portal or PGO, the patient has very little use for it,” says Simone Groen of VG Digitaal. “The foundation is that you use an EPD to exchange data properly. However, research shows that some of the independent mental health professionals are not yet that familiar with the EPD. They sometimes still keep paper files. Many healthcare professionals are also not aware of all the functionalities of such an EPD. In short, they are not yet ready to really exchange that data to a PGO.”
Where the VG VIPP program was mainly focused on software suppliers to make that connection with PGOs technically ready, VG Digitaal therefore focuses on healthcare professionals. “How do you use an EPD as efficiently and effectively as possible, so that it really helps you in your daily work?”
Direct support
VG Digitaal therefore consists of a number of components, such as information products and direct support from participating EPD suppliers. Everyone can access information products via the VG Digitaal website. This ranges from agenda management and correspondence with fellow healthcare providers to declarations. Healthcare professionals are given tools in the form of short films and booklets.
In addition to the information products, VG Digitaal offers healthcare professionals free additional support for the proper design and use of the electronic environment. Groen: “As a healthcare professional, you can contact us. We will then connect you to the supplier from whom you purchase the software package. Together with them, you will then schedule an appointment. You can then receive personal guidance on a chosen theme. This is possible for a maximum of five hours per person and a maximum of one hour for PGO support.”
Investment in time and finances
Groen: “The professionals have to do their own administration, such as invoicing, but above all they are of course care providers. We want them to use their EPD well, so that it supports them well. So that they really see the conveniences and benefits of it. But to make good use of an EPD, the mental health professional has to invest in time and finances. We remove the financial investment to make the threshold as low as possible.”
Since the spring of 2022, VG Digitaal has provided additional support to over three hundred independent mental health professionals. “What we see most of all after the support is that many independent professionals make more use of useful functionalities in the EHR.”
Automatic invoicing
According to Groen, the greatest added value lies in the professionals getting to know the functions of the EPD better. “Suddenly they see many more possibilities. What they used to do in a cumbersome way with many clicks, for example, can also be done automatically.”
“What remains difficult is the invoicing of the treatments. Additional functionality from an EPD can help with that. For example, the invoicing process can start automatically from the agenda when the agenda is up to date. That of course saves a lot of time, administration and checks. And it is less prone to errors.”
The support lowers the threshold, Groen continues. “You used to see that people found it difficult to really ring the bell with their supplier if they didn't understand something. Thanks to this support, that is much easier. They really talk to someone who takes the time for them and go into depth, and feel recognition that the EPD can be quite complicated. Whether you are just starting to use the EPD or have been working with it for years. This support is for everyone. Make use of it.”
Incura and CRS
HCI helps healthcare professionals with the two software packages thanks to its support Incura and CRS more efficiently. When Tamara van 't Zand, Manager Customer Support, heard about VG Digitaal, she saw an opportunity to better support customers. “I thought about how we can really help people with it. How are healthcare providers spending less time on administration? How can we increase their knowledge of the software package?”
“Of course, the healthcare professional would prefer to work with a patient. An EPD should be supportive and not take up more time than it saves. However, some tasks are mandatory. Think of submitting healthcare performance model invoices via the EPD and completing questionnaires such as the Healthcare Demand Typing in order to be able to make certain diagnoses.”
More attention to customers
Thanks to VG Digitaal, support staff can give customers more attention. Van 't Zand: “Normally, training people with the software package goes relatively quickly. You don't always have enough time to guide the healthcare professional by the hand and to guide them. Thanks to VG Digitaal, there is now more time to teach the healthcare professional to work with the EPD as efficiently as possible. In the long term, this ensures that they need less support and therefore have more time to provide care.”
“Thanks to VG Digitaal, we can better explain various aspects of the package, such as the invoicing section, but also the patient portal. Customers can reserve time slots with us themselves. They have found the support very pleasant so far. Even users who have been working with our EPDs for years can do so even more efficiently thanks to the training.”