`We are the first physicians' practice in Enschede where it is possible to arrange for an appointment or renew a prescription online,' said Paul Drost, manager of the campus medical practice. `It's very simple to do. When you enter your customer number and date of birth, you then gain access to the appointment agenda. You cannot see or adjust other appointments and only the available appointment times are indicated.' Paul Drost calls these digital possibilities `ideal' for students. `In the middle of night, they can creep behind the computer to make an appointment. And for students that is not an unorthodox thing to do.' Drost believes there are many advantages as well for the general practitioner and assistants. `There is less time spent on administrative tasks, and they have more time to complete practical work.'
Currently there are twenty patients per day making use of digital options. According to Drost, this is really a high number considering that a normal physicians' practice serves forty patients in one day. `The system is a success because our practice serves for the most part a younger patient base. Older people find the whole digital affair rather frightening.'
And what about the personal contact between the physician and the patient? Is that still an issue? Drost: `I think that it becomes more personal because you can decide how much care you need. Individual care needs are dependent on the person and that is our primary goal. Recently, for example, a student from India mailed us a letter. He wrote his list of symptoms and the physician could react directly with advice. That is convenient. If you have back pain and you seek advice or need medication from the physician than that works well with an e-consult. It is still possible, if you prefer, to visit or to make an appointment by telephone.'
The physicians' practice has been in service for two years on the campus, and in the meantime, there are 2,000 patients who are currently registered. The vast majority of the patients are students. Drost: `In order to establish the practice, we initially focused on the UT. The next step is to gain interest in the campus practice from the community in the surrounding neighborhoods.'
