What is the National Switch Point?

1. How do doctors exchange medical data?

Suppose you suffer from a severe shortness of breath that just won’t go away. It’s the weekend, so you have to go to the GP. There’s a doctor you don’t know. He reads in his computer what is in your medical file about your shortness of breath. But that is not easy. He only sees this data if your own GP has shared a summary of it via the Landelijk Schakelpunt. And that is only allowed with your permission.

More than 11 million people have given this permission. Their data is stored in the computer of their care provider, for example the general practitioner. The National Switch Point only makes connections between different care providers. The Landelijk Schakelpunt is therefore not a website that contains all your medical data.

Pharmacists also share data via the Landelijk Schakelpunt. For example about the use of medicines, allergies or sensitivities. Handy for the general practitioner or specialist who is prescribing a new drug. And safe if you visit several pharmacies, because this way every pharmacist can see whether all medicines can be taken together. This can even prevent hospitalization. Like the general practitioner, the pharmacist needs permission for this.

Tip: Do you want to give or withdraw permission for the Landelijk Schakelpunt? Arrange it with your GP or pharmacy, or via www.ikgetoestemming.nl.

2. Can all doctors view this data?

Many doctors and pharmacists can look into it, but it is only allowed if they treat you. That seems unsafe, but every time a doctor or pharmacist sniffs at the data, his name appears in the system. If someone does it while not treating you, they risk a fine and other punitive action.

The GP data can be viewed by one’s own GP and the acting GP, for example at the GP out-of-hours service. The medication data can be viewed by general practitioners, acting general practitioners, pharmacists, hospital pharmacists and medical specialists in the region. They work in hospitals, mental health institutions, youth health care, institutions for the disabled or in their own practice. You cannot choose which healthcare provider is allowed to watch. This is because the technology is not yet able to cope with this. It is estimated that this will remain the case for another three years.

Tip: Want to keep an eye on who has viewed your medical data? You can do that via www.vzvz.nl. Keep your mobile phone to hand, because you can log in with your DigiD and a text message. Turn on the mail service immediately, then you will receive an email from now on if someone has looked in your data.

3. Is there somewhere I can check what is written about me?

As a patient you can view your own data via www.vzvz.nl. There you see, for example, that the pharmacy gave medicines – but not which ones they were. Healthcare providers can see that. They are allowed to access this medical information because they have a special UZI card that accurately records who they are. Such a pass does not yet exist for patients. Patient access is secured with DigiD and an SMS. That’s the best security there is for the patient, but it’s not secure enough for something as sensitive as medical data. It is estimated that it will take another three years before it is possible. Until then, experiments are underway. For example, a project has been started in Nijmegen in which patients can view their general practitioner data via the Landelijk Schakelpunt. In Friesland this is done with the medicine data on the mobile phone.

Tip: Even if you can’t view your medical file digitally yet, you can always request it from your GP. You can request a medication overview from the pharmacy.

4. Is it properly secured?

Anyone who unexpectedly ends up in the hospital during a day out may say: too good. Healthcare providers outside your own region cannot view your data via the National Switch Point. This has been enforced by politicians for fear of abuse (such as hacker intrusion). That is why the Netherlands is divided into 44 regions.

There are exceptions: university medical centers and some regional hospitals do have wide access. Abroad, no hospital is allowed in the National Switch Point.

Tip: On holiday outside your own region? Ask the pharmacy in advance for a printout of the medicines or a medicine passport, so that doctors can see what to take into account in the event of an emergency.

5. Is the lab also connected?

Although it is technically possible, most laboratories are not yet connected to the National Switch Point. When blood is drawn, the doctor will receive the results. But the pharmacist also needs this information, for example to check kidney function. Research shows that three quarters of pharmacists do not receive lab values ​​from their GP. This can be dangerous, because many medicines require monitoring of kidney function.

Tip: Ask the GP whether he or she also sends the lab data that are important for drug monitoring to the pharmacy. Or bring your own printout and give it to the pharmacy.

6. Can I as a patient gain more control?

Some patients want to have full control over their own data. The Patient Federation of the Netherlands is therefore developing a ‘personal health environment’ on the Internet. Trials with this model are underway under the name ‘MedMij’. The patient enters data about his health, for example blood glucose values. Doctors and pharmacists can add medical information. The patient decides who sees what, and whether, for example, a caregiver can watch. All this with secure access.

Tip: Want to know more about the plans for the personal health environment? View on www.medmij.nl.