Health 2.0

Advisory produced by the Council for Public Health and Health Care for the Minister of Health, Welfare and SportHealth 2.0: patients and healthcare providers work actively together, thus increasing the effectiveness and quality of health services.

What problem does this advisory address?

All parties involved in the provision of healthcare services in the Netherlands agree that the patient (or ‘healthcare consumer’) should be the focus of the entire process. In practice, however, this is not always the case. This advisory considers the concept of Health 2.0, which is intended to ensure that healthcare provision does indeed become fully ‘patient-centric’.

How will Health 2.0 affect the consumer?

The consumer will enjoy greater opportunities to become an active partner in his or her health care. He will be able to compare experiences with others in the same situation and will have far greater scope for self management.

How will Health 2.0 affect the healthcare provider?

Healthcare providers will be dealing with better informed patients who, as a result, are more conscientious in looking after their own health and in following medical advice. In other words, there will be greater patient compliance.

How much will Health 2.0 cost?

There are no additional costs. In fact, because the patient himself will be doing more (‘self management’) and because certain tasks and responsibilities will shift from specialists to other healthcare providers in the chain, it will be possible to stem the increase in healthcare expenses and relieve the pressure on staffing levels.

What is new?

Health 2.0 is a new social development whereby the individual forms part of ‘communities’ which assist and support him in maintaining good health, recovering from an illness or injury, or learning to cope with any lasting effects of a health problem.

This advisory is the result of a long series of discussions with patients, doctors, healthcare insurers, researchers and others involved in healthcare provision. The debate is not yet closed.