Frequently Asked Questions about medical data

With which healthcare institutions is my medical data exchanged electronically?

Your permission applies to all treating healthcare providers in the Netherlands.

In practice, however, not all healthcare institutions and general practitioners are connected. Electronic exchange is currently possible with the following organisations:

• Amsterdam UMC (AMC and VUmc locations)
• AVE Orthopedic Clinics
• Bergman Clinics
• BovenIJ Hospital
• DC Clinics Amsterdam
• DC Clinics Lairesse
• Elisabeth TweeSteden Hospital
• Jessica Gal Sports Doctors
• Kliniek Oud Zuid
• Van Linschoten Specialists
• Jan van Goyen Medical Centre
• Leeuwarden Medical Centre
• OLVG
• Radboud UMC, Nijmegen
• Spaarne Gasthuis
• St. Antonius Hospital
• University Medical Centre, Groningen
• St. Jansdal Hospital
• Some Amsterdam GP practices (provided that they are connected to the OLVG system).

What medical data is exchanged?

The data required for your treatment such as:

• your name, age, address and Dutch Social Security Number (BSN)
• general information about your health
• an overview of your medical problems and conditions
• information about prescription drugs
• any allergies
• results such as x-rays, blood values and other test results
• notes from healthcare providers in which medical information about you is recorded
• medical imaging

Can I choose which elements of my medical data are shared or not?

If you give permission to make your records available, all the information contained therein will be accessible. An exception has been made for notes and appointments with the Psychology and Psychiatry departments. This data will not be shared with other healthcare providers - neither within OLVG nor with external healthcare providers.

The doctor treating you is responsible for ensuring that the correct information is included in your records.

Who has access to my medical data?

Only healthcare providers with whom you have a treatment relationship can consult your medical data for the purposes of your treatment (such as your GP, your medical specialist and nurses involved).

Health insurers, employers and company doctors cannot, and are not permitted to, access your medical data.

Which systems does OLVG use to share your data?

OLVG shares data using a secure connection. Because it concerns sensitive medical information, the highest security standards are met.

• Zorgmail
  For sending results and letters about examinations and treatment.
• Epic Care Link
  A general practitioner portal where GPs can (with your permission) access some of your data.
• Epic Care Everywhere
  This is a module created by Epic and it's the software that OLVG uses for the Electronic Patient Record. This module makes it possible to exchange medical data with other hospitals that also use Epic software.

I want to give my permission, how do I arrange that?

You can give permission yourself using the MijnOLVG website: www.mijnolvg.nl Don't have MijnOLVG yet? Then it is also possible to do this at the registration desk. The employee will then process this for you. This can be done orally, or using the consent form.

Your practitioner can access your medical data at an external healthcare institution, provided you have given your permission for this. An employee who has no treatment relationship with you cannot, and may not, view your data. The permission is for an indefinite period of time. You can always withdraw your permission.

I do not want to give my permission, how do I do that?

If you have not given your permission yet, then you don't have to do anything. Your file will not be shared without your permission. External healthcare institutions cannot consult your medical data.

If you want to withdraw your permission, please indicate this at the desk so that the employee can process it. You can also make a request using MijnOLVG. You can always decide to grant permission to make your medical data available again later.

Does participation in electronic data exchange cost money?

There are no costs associated with exchanging your data.

Will I receive any sort of confirmation that I have granted my permission?

No, you will not receive any such confirmation. During your visit to the hospital, the doctor or receptionist can check whether you have given permission. You can also view this yourself on MijnOLVG.

Can someone else also grant permission for me? For example, if I am incapacitated or unconscious?

Your legal representative can grant permission on your behalf. If you come to the hospital unconscious, the practitioner can give permission on your behalf to request the data from another healthcare institution. If you have an objection to this, you can indicate this to the doctor or the desk clerk.

How can I give permission for my child?

• The parent/guardian can decide for children up to 12 years old. This can also be done using MijnOLVG.
• Both the parent/guardian and the child must give permission for children from 12 to 16 years old.
• Children and adults from the age of 16 decide for themselves.

What about the legislation and regulations concerning the electronic exchange of medical data?

Healthcare institutions must ensure that their information systems are secure and well managed. They must take state of the art technical and organisational measures so that that the availability, correctness and confidentiality of your data is protected. Every healthcare provider also has a duty of confidentiality. Your healthcare provider is obliged to handle your data with the utmost care.

How do I know if my data can be accessed by my practitioner at another healthcare institution?

If you do not know whether your data can be accessed from another healthcare institution, you can find this out on MijnOLVG or ask your healthcare provider or at the desk about this. They can check whether your permission has been given. If you have given permission to share your data at another healthcare institution, the information will be made available automatically to other healthcare institutions that are affiliated with the exchange system.

I am being treated abroad or at a healthcare institution that is not yet connected. What happens now?

If your healthcare institution is not affiliated with the exchange system, your data can be retrieved via other (non-digital) channels, such as by post or by fax.