Cardiologist Janneke Wittekoek can rightly be considered an authority on women’s heart health. Through her media appearances and array of books, she has fought for years to raise awareness of the distinctly different issues that female heart patients face. Recently, we implemented MedicalPortal at Janneke’s HeartLife Clinics, a network of clinics in the Netherlands dedicated to specializing in women’s cardiovascular health, and asked her three questions.
1. Why did you decide to start an independent clinic?
Janneke: “I have always enjoyed working in hospitals and doing research. At the same time, I’ve been very interested in how we can improve healthcare even further. At Cardiologie Centra Nederland, also a network of independent clinics, I experienced how much more freedom you have to focus on patient care as an independent healthcare provider. No long waiting times and the ability to truly make a difference for someone – that freedom is fantastic. After a few great years at CCN, I wanted to specialize in women’s heart health and create a place where I could truly focus and build expertise. That’s how HeartLife Clinics began. We’ve grown into a place where patients come from all over the country, even from the Wadden Islands, and from Belgium, with specific questions about women’s heart health. Awareness that the female heart has unique challenges has grown significantly, and we’re proud that HeartLife Clinics has been able to contribute to that.”
2. What is important to you in a new electronic health record (EHR) system?
“We consciously chose an Electronic Patient Record that is also used by other clinics. It’s a strategic choice. My ambition is to engage more cardiologists in the specific issues surrounding women’s heart health. It’s important that we can easily share data for research purposes and exchange checklists and protocols with colleagues. I envision HeartLife Clinics as a center of expertise on women’s heart health within a growing network of interested cardiologists. For patients, this means less travel time if they can find a doctor in their region who works with the same approach as we do. As cardiologists, we are also increasingly appreciating specialization within cardiology. I refer patients with complex arrhythmias to colleagues who have more knowledge and experience in that area.”
3. En wat zijn je ervaringen met MedicalPortal tot nu toe?
“Transitioning to a new EHR system always brings some frustration, especially because you don’t immediately have the knowledge and skills to use it effectively. However, we have excellent support from Heart for Health, and as we continue to work with it, we find that it is becoming faster and better. Overall, we are very satisfied! In the few months we’ve been using it, we haven’t encountered any major issues, only a few minor flaws that have been addressed well.
Soon, we will also be joined by a cardiologist at HeartLife Clinics, allowing me more time to delve into it and see how we can organize research and facilitate knowledge exchange within MedicalPortal. Our HeartLife Academy, which organizes retraining and continuing education programs for healthcare professionals, will also play an important role in this. I also foresee that we will work much more multidisciplinary. In many cases, heart conditions in women are related to mental or hormonal issues. Involving psychologists, gynecologists, and psychiatrists in treatment when necessary is crucial. I believe that we have a solid foundation for that with MedicalPortal.”