training

Year family medicine established: 1991 (UEMO, n.d.)
Type of Training: Residencyi

Length of Training: There are seven years of medical school, with family medicine taught during this time (Akdeniz et al., 2011) Following this, there is a three-year residency program (Royal College of General Practitioners, n.d.)

Number of institutions that offer family medicine: There are 8 universities that teach family medicine (Brekke et al., 2013)

Number of family medicine residents graduating each year: About 20% of medical student graduates complete a residency in family medicine.

practice

Number of family doctors in country (2016): 26,746 family physicians (Eurostat, 2016)

“The total number of active GPs as a ratio to total number of active specialists is 0.56 in 2008.” (Brekke et al., 2013)

Physician to population ratio (2006): 51.9 family physicians per 100,000 people (Masseria et al., 2009)

One full time family doctor provides care for an average of 2,350 patients at all ages (NGH, n.d.) Family doctors do about 3-4 house calls a day and see 30 patients in their office a day. Family doctors are assigned based on postal code region, so that there is a family doctor within a 15-minute drive (personal interview, 2018).

DALY: 11,486 per 100,000 individuals (Due to all Causes).

Life Expectancy:

• Females 2017: 83.2 years

• Males 2017: 80.0 years

Mortality rate 2017:

• 2016 Males: 66 per 1,000 male adults.

• 2016 Females: 51 per 1,000 female adults.

Infant Immunization-HepB3: % of 1-year-old children received: 92%

College of Family Physicians (Y or N):

• No

training

There are seven years of medical school in the Netherlands, with family medicine taught during this time.3 The country has 8 universities that currently teach family medicine (Brekke et al., 2013)  Following medical school, there is a three-year residency program (NHG, n.d.) To specialize in family medicine it is required to complete a residency program. Residency in the Netherlands is unique because there is less time spent in hospital training, and more in office and home-based training. About 20% of medical student graduates complete a residency in family medicine. There is also CME required for doctors who are specialized in family medicine (personal interview, 2018)

practice

“The total number of active GPs as a ratio to total number of active specialists is 0.56 in 2008.” (Kringos et al., n.d.) Other primary care deliverers include dentists, occupational therapists, midwives, physiotherapists, home care nurses, specialized nurses and primary care/ general practice nurses. Family doctors in the Netherlands are called “huisarts” or house doctor, as they traditionally worked out of homes. In the last 30 years, they moved into offices and now family doctors see patients and also do house calls. Family doctors offer generalist, patient oriented, and continuous care. Family doctors do not give vaccinations or baby care, this is done by public health doctors. They also do not see in-patients in the hospital (personal interview, 2018)

One full time family doctor provides care for an average of 2,350 patients at all ages (NHG, n.d.) Family doctors do about 3-4 house calls a day and see 30 patients in their office a day. Family doctors are assigned based on postal code region, so that there is a family doctor within a 15-minute drive (personal interview, 2018)

They act as gatekeepers to hospital and specialist care (NHG, n.d.) A family doctor must even be seen before going to emergency. There are out-of-hours service offered, and family doctors would get notice if their patient went (Personal interview, 2018)

Some family doctors work by themselves, but many work in small practices with medical assistants, nurses, counsellors, and other disciplines (personal interview, 2018)