On this page you find answers to questions we receive from healthcare users and healthcare providers. They are about MedMij, Personal Health Environments (PHE) and secure digital data exchange. If you have further questions you can contact the PGO Information desk by sending an email to pgo@helpdeskdigitalezorg.nl or contact them by phone (+31)(0)85-303 4959.
Questions about MedMij and PHE
A personal health environment (PHE in English and PGO in Dutch) is an app or website in which you can collect your health data. For example, information about what you eat, how much you exercise or how long you sleep. You can also retrieve various medical data from your GP or hospital in your PHE. This is done via the MedMij Framework. Medical data that you are able to retrieve includes, i.e., your blood group, the medications you use, lab results, interview reports and in some PHEs it is also possible to exchange documents with your healthcare provider.
If organizations comply with MedMij's strict rules for secure data exchange, they may use the MedMij label. You will see the label in personal health environments (PHE) and with healthcare providers such as your GP. When you see the label, you know that your medical data can be exchanged there safely and reliably in accordance with MedMij's high standards in the MedMij Framework. lHere you will find a current overview of all PHEs with a MedMij label. Also visit pgo.nl for more information about personal health environments.
MedMij Framework technically means a secure, digital connection between your personal health environment (PHE and PGO in Dutch)) and your general practitioner or hospital. The MedMij Foundation has drawn up rules for the secure exchange of medical data and wrote them down in the framework. Via MedMij you can securely add a copy of your medical data to your PHE.
There are two different circumstances: If you are an expat with a Dutch ID and/or a Dutch driver’s license, with the chip required to perform an ID check on your phone, you can use a PHE. But if you do not have one of these documents, you unfortunately can not use a PHE. Even if you have a BSN (social security number) MedMij is not in the position to change this. The Dutch government has made the choice to impose the highest level of security. In the case of retrieving medical data, this level of security (the ID-check in DigiD) is of utmost importance.
Checking the identity of the person requesting the medical data is the responsibility of the healthcare provider. This may result in deviations from this, for example by logging in to DigiD using an SMS code. Some organisations still apply this.
Questions about DigiD
DigiD stands for Digital Identification. It’s a secure online ID that allows you to access a wide range of Dutch government and public services, such as healthcare, taxes, education, and municipal services.
If you live and work in the Netherlands, you’ll need a DigiD to manage many essential tasks online. Like viewing your medical records, filing taxes, or applying for benefits.
Your DigiD consists of a username and password that are linked to your personal citizen service number (BSN). You can also activate two-factor authentication for extra security, often via the DigiD app.
You can apply for a DigiD online via www.digid.nl. If you don’t have a Dutch passport or ID, there are special procedures for expats, including identity verification at a DigiD service desk.
Yes. DigiD is managed by the Dutch government and uses strong security measures to protect your personal data.
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