The new approach by AZORG and Wit-Gele Kruis Oost-Vlaanderen integrates technology with human follow-up, where the Zorgcentrale (Care Center) of Wit-Gele Kruis plays a crucial role. Patients receive personal contact and guidance from the start, ensuring that even those less familiar with digital applications can participate. Health data is monitored according to clear agreements between healthcare providers, with nurses from the Zorgcentrale as the first link, supplemented by midwives, specialist nurses, and gynecologists if necessary.
Frank Staelens emphasizes that healthcare providers, not technology, coordinate the follow-up. If needed, Wit-Gele Kruis Oost-Vlaanderen can also offer home nursing or midwifery care, seamlessly connecting remote monitoring with personal home care.
The ambition of both organizations extends beyond the current 'Zorgeloos Zwanger' (Carefree Pregnancy) application. They aim to develop a sustainable and comprehensive transmural care model that better integrates hospital care and home care. Specific care pathways are being developed for various medical fields, with potential applications for home antibiotic treatments, cancer therapies, respiratory support, or post-operative follow-up.
By systematically collecting, securely sharing, and analyzing health data, both partners aim to intervene more quickly when a patient's health condition changes. The platform will be open to all primary care professionals, regardless of their organization. This is intended to prevent complications and unnecessary hospital admissions, alleviate pressure on hospitals, and use healthcare resources more efficiently.
This collaboration is a step towards an integrated and accessible care model where the patient and general practitioner are central, and the hospital plays a supporting role. The Zorgcentrale, home nurses, midwives, and other primary care professionals will work closely together across organizational boundaries to provide patients with more comfort and security, better support caregivers, and help keep healthcare accessible, high-quality, and affordable in the long term.
