Prevention Consultation, Risk Test and Personal Health Check
The number of people with kidney disease, diabetes and cardiovascular disease is growing rapidly. A great deal of prevention is being done to halt this growth. The GP plays an important role in this with the Prevention Consultation, but the Personal Health Check can also provide an indication of the risk.
It is known: we exercise too little, eat too much and unhealthy, drink too much, to smoke and/or are overweight. This unhealthy lifestyle leads to the rapid increase of new, increasingly younger, often chronically ill patients with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic renal failure. In addition, these people often get several conditions at the same time.
Every year there are 71,000 patients with type 2 diabetes and 160,000 with heart and vascular disease. In addition, in the Netherlands there are almost 16,000 patients with renal replacement therapy and unfortunately there are still more people who need a donor kidney than there are donor kidneys. The number of dialysis patients is around 6,300 and about 20 percent of them die every year.
Appearance
Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes but also kidney diseases can often be prevented by lifestyle adjustment. The Prevention Consultation has been set up to ensure better detection, guidance and treatment of people with an increased risk of these three disorders. It is a scientifically based method with which doctors can detect the risk of these three chronic diseases, so that treatment can be started early.
How does it work?
GPs can invite patients aged 45 and older to the Risk test to identify people with an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and kidney damage. Research has shown that people under the age of 45 are almost never at such a high risk that treatment by a doctor is necessary. That is why GPs are not likely to invite younger people.
Elderly
The test can be completed from the age of 30. In younger people, the program gives erroneous results; filling it in is therefore not useful. Men over the age of 60 and women over 65 have an increased risk based on their age and do not need to take the test. GPs can invite them directly to the Prevention Consultation in the practice.
| General practitioners who work with the Prevention Consultation invite all patients older than 45 years who are not regularly checked for diabetes, high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease, by letter to take the Risk Test. But not all at once. The GP makes a division on the basis of age and invites these age groups into groups. This makes it workable for general practitioners and not everyone comes to the practice at the same time. |
The Risk Test
By answering seven questions, you get an initial assessment of your personal risk. If you have an increased risk, you will be advised to make an appointment for a Prevention Consultation with your general practitioner. In case of a slightly increased risk, it is in any case wise to adjust your lifestyle.
Two doctor visits
The Prevention Consultation itself includes two visits to the GP. At the first visit, the completed questionnaire is checked to see whether there is indeed an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes or chronic kidney damage. The doctor does this by measuring blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, among other things. The doctor will also determine whether you may already have diabetes, cardiovascular disease or kidney damage and check your weight and waist size.
Second consultation
During the second visit to the GP, the risks are discussed and a treatment plan is drawn up if necessary. The GP will provide guidance by means of lifestyle advice, referral to other care providers and possibly prescribing medication.
Costs
The Risk Test itself can be done online for free. Does the Risk Test show an increased risk? This is followed by two consultations in the general practice. There are costs associated with this, for example for laboratory research. Some of the health insurers reimburse the examination on the basis of the supplementary insurance. Some don’t either. Sometimes the costs for laboratory research are counted as an ‘excess’. It is wise to check this with your insurer.
Personal Health Check
With the Personal Health Check All Dutch people from the age of 18 can create a personal health report. This report offers insight into the current state of health factors that you can do something about yourself. By taking action on the basis of the report’s advice, you will become more vital and reduce the risk of common chronic diseases. The (regional) sports and wellness offer and online resources are included in the Personal Health Check for this. Only in the case of a high risk (according to medical guidelines) is referred to the general practitioner or company doctor.
The free basic version checks for lifestyle and the risks of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, kidney disease and lung disease. If necessary or desired, you can refine the report with medical modules (lab research/measurements) and additional online modules.
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