At Mediris, we support healthcare providers in their daily practice operations. In addition, we believe it is important to support social initiatives that contribute to accessible healthcare.
In the middle of last year, we were contacted by care team Heembeemd, a nursing out-of-hours post in Mechelen, asking whether we could support their social care project. After a few pleasant conversations, we were completely convinced of the initiative and decided to join the story. Today, the entire out-of-hours post works with the Mediris EMR and our online calendar.
But how is the project going now? We paid a visit to Mieke Vanseuningen, practice coordinator of care team Heembeemd, to discover it up close.
An innovative care project in the heart of Mechelen
Care team Heembeemd is much more than a classic out-of-hours post. The initiative was set up with a clear mission: to relieve general practitioners while offering patients more accessible and preventive care within their own neighbourhood. To achieve that goal, a strong network was built with various partners.
Today, the focus is mainly on nursing services such as wound care and health checks. During these consultations, various parameters are measured and then shared with the GP. This not only ensures more efficient patient follow-up, but also delivers considerable time savings for doctors.
The team currently consists of seven nurses, all active as a secondary occupation. The care offering was recently strengthened with a psychologist, allowing patients to be supported even more broadly.
The location was also deliberately chosen. The Heembeemd neighbourhood is known as a caring community and therefore forms the ideal environment for this initiative. Thanks to the positive response from both local residents and the city, two additional locations will open from September. These sites will also be in neighbourhoods with a high population density, where the need for accessible care is great.
The ultimate goal is clear: to strengthen the health of the people of Mechelen and to provide care for everyone.
That the project is alive in the neighbourhood is evident every day. Residents easily find their way to the out-of-hours post and sometimes walk in spontaneously for urgent nursing care. If necessary, they are referred to a GP. The short communication lines between the post and the doctor make a big difference here.
Many local residents were also present at the opening. The turnout exceeded all expectations. As the icing on the cake, Minister Gennez came to festively open the post. Read the article on HLN.
Mediris as digital software support
Smooth digital support is essential for such care projects to function efficiently. That is why care team Heembeemd uses Mediris for both the EMR and the online calendar.
Via the online calendar, patients can easily make an appointment. Nurses register consultations, draw up reports and share them securely with GPs. The secure communication between healthcare providers in particular is an important added value. Via the eHealthBox, nurses and doctors can exchange information in a safe and efficient way.
As with any new system, there were a few challenges during the start-up phase, mainly around administration. Thanks to close guidance, however, the start-up went smoothly.
“We find the collaboration with Mediris very good.”
— Mieke Vanseuningen
Building tomorrow’s care together
At MediPortal, we continue to actively support this kind of initiative. We strongly believe in projects that stimulate collaboration, focus on prevention and make care more accessible to patients.
Care team Heembeemd is a fine example of this. We therefore look forward to continuing to support this story and to building the healthcare of tomorrow together.
