Good care begins with good patient information. Yet, for many paramedics, it still feels like they are working on an island: the records are in order, but the connection with the outside world is difficult. With the arrival of GUPZ (Paramedical Care Data Exchange), this changes fundamentally. The goal? Less hassle, more time for your patient, and an end to the digital silo culture. But on your terms as a paramedic.
Healthcare is changing, the data must keep up.
The demand for care is rising, treatments are becoming more complex, and your patient is playing an increasingly larger role in their own health process. Care no longer takes place in a vacuum, but in networks surrounding the patient. Paramedics regularly collaborate with general practitioners and medical specialists.
However, that collaboration often founders at the digital boundary of your own practice. Reports are currently still shared in dozens of different ways – via secure email, healthcare portals, or sometimes even on paper. This variation consumes vast amounts of time, increases the administrative burden, and raises the risk that crucial information does not end up in the right place. This is the core of the 'island culture'. GUPZ is the national program that is changing this by bringing paramedics and patients together.
You remain in control
It is understandable that paramedics are critical regarding data exchange. After all, what happens to the data in your EHR? Is everything simply made public?
GUPZ does not mean that other practices can simply look into your kitchen. You always retain control over which data you share and with whom. GUPZ replaces the current chaos of loose emails and PDFs with one secure, digital standard. You share data specifically with the healthcare providers directly involved in the treatment – such as the referring GP – and with the patient themselves.
What exactly is GUPZ?
GUPZ stands for Data Exchange Paramedical CareIt is a collaboration between seven paramedical professional associations, patients, and software vendors. Together, they make firm agreements regarding:
- Exactly which data is needed to provide the best care.
- How to record this data unambiguously (unity of language).
- How systems exchange this data securely and automatically.
By making agreements based on national standards, exchanging data becomes not only easier but, above all, safer. This allows you to meet the growing requirements regarding digital transparency and the Electronic Data Exchange in Healthcare Act (Wegiz).
Data exchange with the patient
An important part of the GUPZ program is the exchange with the patient. This takes place via a Personal Health Environment (PHE): an app or website in which the patient collects, manages, and shares their own health data.
Where the silo culture resulted in one-way traffic (“I send a report to the GP”), the combination of GUPZ and the PGO creates a triangle in which the patient is central:
- The patient as carrier of information: A patient transitioning from the general practitioner to the physiotherapist already has the relevant medical data at hand via the PGO.
- Shared decision-making in practice: Because the patient has access to specific parts of the paramedical records via the PGO, greater transparency is created. This stimulates conversation in the treatment room and increases adherence to therapy.
- One central location: The patient does not need to log in to four different portals from different healthcare providers, but views your paramedical data securely alongside the data from the GP or the hospital.
What's in it for you?
Although GUPZ sounds like a technical project, the result is actually very human. Eliminating the silo culture yields direct benefits in daily practice:
- Less administrative burden
- Better transmissibility
- More insight for the patient through PHRs
- Focus on the patient
How HCI and HCI One support you in this transition
As an EHR provider, we understand that privacy and control are top priorities for your practice. That is why we think along with HCI Actively involved in the GUPZ program from the start. We are at the table to ensure that the interests and autonomy of your practice always come first in the development of these new standards.
Moreover, we already have the bridge to the patient in-house. The PGO of Uw Zorg Online (part of HCI) has been officially selected as one of the PGOs for MedMijMedMij is the Dutch standard for the secure and reliable exchange of medical data between patients and healthcare providers. This initiative by the Dutch Patients' Federation ensures that patients always have access to their own health data via an app or website.
Behind the scenes, we are continuing to build hard. In our newest platform HCI One We will eventually offer practices the opportunity to exchange data directly, securely, and in a standardized manner with patients via the PGO, even as a paramedic. You decide when to take this step. In this way, we roll out the red carpet for greater digital convenience, a lower workload for your practice, and optimal service for your patient.
For more information about Paramedical Care Data Exchange, go to: gegevensuitwisselingparamedischezorg.nl