‘In our practice, we are already seeing the potential of this platform’ 

For digital resources to succeed in the world of general practitioners, only having the right tools at hand is not enough. Both healthcare providers and patients need to be able to work with them properly. Diego Keijzer is one of the GPs who has chosen to use Quin’s healthcare platform. Implementation consultant Diederik Vergroesen helped him implement and adopt it.

Diego, why did you team up with Quin?

‘As a GP, I noticed that my assistants were being inundated with phone calls. And I myself had little control over my schedule, so we had been looking for some time for ways to reduce our workloads and better organise processes. Quin came along at exactly the right time. If we want to tackle the problems in our profession, we have to dare to look at digitalisation so that we can manage the workload better as a team.’

The implementation has now been completed. Can you tell us a bit about the collaboration?

Diego: ‘That’s going incredibly well. They think with us, give us tips and try to facilitate everything smoothly and for the long term. In addition, the lines of communication at Quin are extremely short. We still have weekly contact with the implementation manager, and we feel that Quin is very involved. If I’m struggling with something, I know that, if necessary, two of them will come by to solve it. That works incredibly well.’

A nice compliment, Diederik! Is that what sets you apart from other players in the field?

Diederik: ‘Well, first of all we start by working on the basic conditions, of course. We make sure that everything is in place technically and connect the applications. But we also always start from a personalised plan of approach because every practice has different needs. Moreover, we pay a lot of attention to the adoption of the systems so that patients and professionals get to know and use the platform. We prepare communication tools, help adapt websites and provide support through newsletters and mailings to inform patients. And we organise training sessions to walk the team at the practice through all the changes. I myself like this personal approach. For instance, clients have my direct phone number and email address, so they can always reach me if they need to.’

What improvements do you see in the near future?

Diederik: ‘The link to our platform is established differently with each physician’s information system (HIS). That sometimes makes the integration a bit more difficult. Our development team is now working hard to streamline this, so fortunately, it’s a temporary inconvenience. In the meantime, Diego, the assistants and the patients can of course work as usual with the various functionalities, such as the symptom checker, the video consultations and direct messaging.’

Diego: ‘At the same time, we knew in advance that we would not be able to use all the functionalities to their full potential right away. And we don’t mind that either. If you want to get ahead, you also have to accept that some things could still be under development. I think it’s more important that we already see the potential of this platform.’

What positive changes has the practice already experienced?

Diego: ‘The chat function, in particular, brings a lot of peace of mind. Our assistants have more opportunities to answer questions and consult the GP. We also notice that more and more patients know how to find the app. Initially, we wanted ten per cent app downloads within three months; that goal was easily achieved. We’re now aiming for fifteen per cent and then to accelerate to thirty per cent. Then we’ll really notice the difference.’

What will the practice be like when you have achieved that thirty per cent?

Diego: ‘Then there will be far fewer calls coming in and we can spread the work much better throughout the day. We will no longer have to constantly interrupt our work and won’t be so tied to the phone. Furthermore, I expect that our patients will discover through the symptom checker that they can also relieve many of their symptoms through self-care. And that will leave us with more time for the patients who need our care the most.’

In conclusion, what would you say to practice owners who are hesitant about deploying digital tools?

Diego: ‘That it’s important for all of us to be a bit more pioneering. A lot of colleagues are quite cautious when adopting new digital tools. That’s understandable, but if everyone did that, little would change, of course. That’s why we need a large group of GPs who want to actively drive change. Let’s all move a bit more to the forefront.’