How can I register for a GP?
How do I choose a GP?
Basically, you can register for a GP at an office that accepts new patients.
In some cases, the general practitioner makes an exception, for example if the GP wants to have family members in 1 office in connection with genetic diseases and the members agree to this.
How long does a consultation last?
The average duration of a consultation with the GP is 10 minutes on average.
If you wish to book a longer consultation, please indicate this to the assistant when making your appointment.
If I am a minor, can I visit my GP without my parent accompanying me?
Yes, that is possible.
Please be aware that until the age of 18, your parent has the right to request your GP for your medical records.
If you are under the age of 12, your GP is required to share this information with your parent. If you are between 12-18 years old, your GP also requires your permission to share it.
What is triage?
Triage is the procedure followed when you call or visit a medical facility such as a general practitioner's office. The time when one had to draw a number is definitely behind us. Now with the help of the triage system, we inventorize the patient's need from the beginning to be able to help him / her in the best way possible.
Why triage?
The purpose of asking questions while applying triage is to determine the practice's schedule for the entire day. That is why it is very important to provide information to the assistant in a complete and concrete manner. This determines the urgency of the treatment.
Most of the assistants are educated and trained to ask these questions. Just like the GP, the assistant also has a professional secrecy.
What is important when I call the GP's office?
It is important that, if possible, the patient calls the GP's office himself. There are cases when this is not possible, for example in the case of a child or elderly person who cannot speak or is very ill.
It is also important that the GP knows as precise as possible details about a patient's illnesses or health complaints. For example, for how long and where does the patient have pain, how often does the patient have this pain, what relieves the pain, what makes it worse, how long does the pain last.
The dose and names of medicines are also important information for the GP. With this information, the GP can make a decision about which medication can be prescribed and which cannot.
In an emergency situation, what happens after triage?
The assistant activates the emergency care protocol. This means that the doctor's agenda is interrupted and the GP focuses, and if necessary, with the help of emergency staff on this case. For example, in case you find yourself in a situation where there is a cardiac arrest or stroke, call your doctor's emergency line immediately.
That is why it is important that the emergency line number is only used for urgent cases and not for regular matters such as making an appointment or requesting a repeat prescription. In such a situation, you can prevent a person, who is in distress, from getting in touch with his doctor.
The emergency line numbers of the GP's are available from Monday to Friday, from 7:00 am - 6:00 pm. This information is available on the HAVA website https://www.havaruba.org/en/information-gps/. Outside these hours, you can contact the doctor on duty or the emergency department of Dr. Horacio E. Oduber Hospital or ImSan.
In a non-emergency situation, what happens after triage?
In a non-emergency situation, there are several options.
The assistant can make for the patient an appointment in person with the GP or schedule a telephone appointment. An appointment can also be scheduled at the patient's house, if he/she cannot come to the office, for example the patient cannot walk or is very ill. The assistant can also discuss your question with the GP and call you afterwards with the answer. Or the assistent himself/herself can give you advice and informs the GP about this.
When you have an appointment in person with your GP, please keep yourself to the time given to you. This is essential to avoid crowding in the office. Remember that every time you visit your GP, a team helps you and works for your health.
What is HAP?
The HAP stands for the Dutch word "huisartsenpost". The HAP is a place where a patient can go to see a general practitioner in case of an emergency. The HAP provides help to to patients, who can't wait to visit their general practitioner the next day.
The HAP is accessible via the entrance of the Emergency Care (Spoedeisende hulp) at Dr. Horacio Oduber Hospital. During the week, the HAP is open from 18.00-22.00 and on weekends from 9.00-13.00 and 18.00-22.00.
When should I go to the HAP?
The HAP is intended for urgent matters that you want to discuss with a GP. For example, small children with a high fever or acute worsening of your already existing symptoms.
It is not the intention that you go to the HAP because you do not have time during the day to go to your own GP. For cases that can wait until the next day, you can also be referred back to your own GP.
What is possible at the HAP?
At the HAP you can discuss your complaints with a GP. The GP can examine you and, if necessary, prescribe medication.
It is not possible to get blood tests, make an ultrasound, make a CT scan or refer you to a medical specialist.
If necessary, you will be referred to the Emergency Department in cases of emergency. Otherwise, you will need to discuss your complaints with your own
GP the next day.
How can I register at the HAP?
In order to see a GP at the HAP, you need to register at the Spoedeisende Hulp at Dr. Horacio Oduber Hospital. Registration cannot be done via telephone. When you register, you will be helped by a triage nurse, who will ask you a number of questions to determine the urgency of your complaint. You will then be asked to take a seat in the waiting room. You will be called by the security guard when it is your turn.
In some cases, for example if you do not have urgent complaints, you may be asked to wait until the next day when you can visit your own GP. The HAP is only for urgent cases that cannot wait until the next day and during normal opening hours of your GP office.
Who is the team at the GP's office?
In the GP's office, they work as a team to provide the care and service that a patient needs. The team always consists of a GP and one or two assistants. Since the last 10 years the GP has the opportunity to use the service offered by a POH and that is why there is a POH in some offices.
What is the role of the GP in the team?
The GP is the specialist who has ultimate responsibility for the care offered and the medicine prescribed to the patient. The decisions that the doctor makes in relation to patient medicine are his responsibility.
Therefore, all the help that the doctor receives from his colleagues for the patient falls under his supervision.
The GP is also the point of contact for specialists at the hospital/IMSAN or other care providers, when it comes to managing the patient care.
What is the job of the assistant?
The assistant is the first point of contact for the patient. The assistant is trained/instructed for providing the initial service. To determine the urgency of the case, the assistant will always ask questions to evaluate the case and organize the agenda of our office as much as possible (the triage process).
It is important to mention that in certain cases, an assistant can also give advice to the patient. In such a situation, the assistant will always inform the GP of the advice given.
The assistant also takes care of the administration of the office, this is done under supervision of the GP. In some cases, the GP has an assistant as well as an administrative officer, the latter solely takes care of the administration.
What is the job of the POH?
The GP can also delegate certain tasks to a POH, if there is one in the team. If there is a POH, their tasks may be different in each office. But the essence of his/her work is the professional guidance he/she offers to the patient.
The tasks of a POH in Aruba is to guida e patient with a chronic physical condition, such as diabetes mellitus, asthma/COPD and/or cardiovascular diseases.
But abroad, the guidance of patients with psychological, psychosocial or psychosomatic problems can also be the tasks of a POH. We hope that in the future, Aruba may also have POHs specialized in these fields.
In Aruba, the POH service is being offered for more than 10 years and Wit Gele Kruis is in charge of guiding these professionals.