[Telephone accessibility of Dutch general practices: improvements can be made, but will not fully solve the problem]

Abstract

The Dutch Health Inspectorate published a research report on the accessibility by telephone of Dutch general practices. A large proportion of Dutch GPs have not organized their practices according to standard norms as far as accessibility by telephone is concerned. Several developments can explain this substandard accessibility, such as an increasing number of telephone calls and changes in staff practice routine. Technical solutions such as voice response systems or more incoming lines cannot resolve all the problems. More information on the accessibility for patients, smarter systems for repeat prescriptions and the use of email could improve the situation. The development of best practices and research into the efficacy of the proposed solutions is necessary.