Dr. Joaquin van Trigt, President of the Aruba Association of General Practitioners (HAVA), has explained that the primary goal of the new care coordination protocols between general practitioners and medical specialists is to prevent long waiting lists for specialist care.
In July 2023, HAVA and the Aruba Association of Hospital Specialists (ASHA) signed a cooperation agreement to strengthen collaboration between general practitioners and specialists. Since then, several protocols have been developed across different medical specialties.
During a press conference held together with Minister of Public Health Mervin Wyatt-Ras, it was officially announced that these protocols are now publicly available on the websites of both HAVA and ASHA.
Dr. van Trigt explained that the protocols clearly define the division between primary care, which falls under general practitioners, and secondary or specialized care, which is provided by specialists and requires a referral from a GP. Specialties covered include urology, pulmonology, nephrology, cardiology, orthopedics, ophthalmology, and internal medicine.
According to van Trigt, when a patient’s condition becomes more complex, the general practitioner issues a referral to a specialist for advanced treatment. Once specialist care is completed, the patient is referred back to their GP, allowing specialists to focus on patients who truly require their expertise and freeing up capacity for others on waiting lists.
He emphasized that this structured approach ensures that general practitioners manage basic care, while specialists handle only cases that genuinely need advanced intervention. This process helps improve efficiency, reduce delays, and optimize patient flow within the healthcare system.
The full details of the protocols, including which conditions fall under GP care and which require specialist treatment, are available on the HAVA and ASHA websites. Dr. van Trigt noted that beyond improving collaboration, the protocols also aim to provide greater transparency and clarity for patients, helping them better understand what to expect from their healthcare providers.
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