Since its launch in December 2009, www.ZorgkaartNederland.nl - the Netherlands' largest website for patients to share their experiences with healthcare professionals - has had 750 000 unique visitors and collected over 10 000 patient reviews of physicians and healthcare institutions [figures of June 2010]. 

This shows that the website meets the need of sharing patient experiences and the demand for a central and clear overview of care facilities and providers.

Site visitors will be able to seek, find and assess over 85 000 physicians, institutions and organisations. Likewise, they can know of the opinion of others.

"The average rate given to physicians and institutions is high, at around eight," said Jacqueline Baardman, manager at the Federation of Patients and Consumer Organisations in the Netherlands (NPCF). "We can see that the site is not used as a wailing wall, rather, people are serious and motivate their appreciation (...). Not all experiences are posted. The independent editors have censured over 300 comments, mainly due to indecency." she added.

"The large number of page views and comments, two million since the start, confirm our view that patients are interested in and value the stories of others" Ms. Baardman indicated. "Personal stories often say more than numbers and search results. Especially when it comes to something as essential as healthcare. Results so far show that this website answers a growing need."

'ZorgkaartNederland.nl' is a joint initiative of NPCF and a national provider of healthcare information material and [e]Learning tools.  

 

Further information: 

• Original article - Federation of Patients and Consumer Organisations in the Netherlands (in Dutch)
• Federation of Patients and Consumer Organisations in the Netherlands (in Dutch)
• ZorgkaartNederland.nl (in Dutch)