More control over medical data thanks to the MedMij label

It is one of the biggest promises in healthcare: a single, secure online location where everyone can easily access their medical data. Fortunately, thanks to the MedMij certification, this promise is now a big step closer to reality. The certification makes it possible to safely centralise all a given patient’s medical data in one digital location. This gives patients greater control over their health and their care.

Patients always have the right to view their medical data digitally. This is a right we hold in high regard in the Netherlands; no fewer than eighty-eight per cent of the Dutch consider it important, yet there is no central place where patients can view all their medical data. This can mean, for example, that they are able to read a report of a conversation with their GP in their GP’s patient portal but cannot see in that same environment what they have discussed with a medical specialist in the hospital after a referral.

The MedMij certification offers a solution for this. MedMij is a quality seal for the safe exchange of health data and is awarded to websites and apps that offer secure, confidential access to medical data. Because of the MedMij quality mark, these apps and websites can then connect to various healthcare providers so that patients can view all the data that has been stored about them.

Patients can already choose from an increasing number of providers of these ‘personal health environments’. More and more healthcare providers are also able to connect to them. For example, almost all GPs already have a MedMij label. And an increasing number of other healthcare providers, such as hospitals and physiotherapists, are also working on it.

Complete health picture

The idea of a place where people can access their own medical data has not just popped up out of the blue. It fits within the broader trend in which people are looking for greater control over their health. ‘At the moment, medical data is fragmented and all over the place,’ says GP Dayenne Ubachs. ‘The GP has the patient’s details, the hospital has other information about that same individual and so does the physiotherapist. Thanks to the MedMij certification, all a patient’s health data, such as consultation reports, lab results and vaccinations, can be brought together in one place. This provides a complete picture, and patients then always have insight into their health.’

Sharing data

Increased access has numerous advantages. Not only are health data collected in one place, but patients also have more control over that data. For example, they can easily read back their GP’s advice, check prescribed medicines and consult the results of examinations when it suits them. In addition, data can be more easily shared among different healthcare providers. The latter is a godsend for both patients and healthcare providers, says Dayenne. ‘Often, healthcare providers don’t have the full picture. For example, the physiotherapist doesn’t know what was discussed during a GP consultation and vice versa. That can lead to misunderstandings. For example, I recently had a patient who had been advised to have an ultrasound done by his physiotherapist, whereas I had previously decided that this was not necessary. If the physiotherapist had had access to my data, it would have prevented all sorts of unnecessary confusion on all sides.’

Logical addition

Quin will be soon in possession of the MedMij label. For Quin, the certification is a logical addition to what the company already does, explains Dirk Francken, product owner of the Quin app. ‘We want to give people more control over their own health, and we are working on this in various ways. For example, with our app, users can check symptoms, make digital appointments and make video calls with their GP*. But if people want to manage their own health and healthcare effectively, access to their health data is crucial. Thanks to this label, our Quin app users now also have access to the medical data their GP has about them.’

Future plans

At the same time, this is just the first step, according to Dirk. ‘Users can currently access their general practitioner’s data through our app, and in the future, we’ll also connect additional healthcare providers. That way, the Quin app becomes a collection point for all our users’ medical data. In the same way, we want to ensure that they can also enter their own data, such as eating habits, sports performance or home blood pressure measurements. That will make the Quin app more and more complete.’

The best thing about the certification? That everyone can see that we, too, can share health data safely and confidentially, states Dirk. ‘It’s also fantastic that we’re now much more widely available. Previously, users of the Quin app only had access to their GP’s patient portal if the GP was connected to the Quin platform. But thanks to this certification, every user will always have access to their medical data through the Quin app. Moreover, they then immediately benefit from our other features, such as our symptom checker. That combination makes it invaluable. Try it out, I would say.’

*Video calls and digital appointments are only available when your GP’s practice is also connected to the Quin platform. Contact your doctor’s practice directly about the options.