GPs- Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions

• Will I receive a notification of my patients’ participation?

  Your patient will receive the results, as he or she requested the test. At your patient’s request, we will send you a notification if a follow-up consultation is needed.

• My patient has received an invitation to participate in the health screening, but is being treated by a gastrointestinal and liver services specialist. Is there any point in the patient participating?

  We advise patients who are being treated by a gastrointestinal and liver services specialist or internist to consult the specialist about their possible participation.

• My patient has received an invitation to participate in the health screening, but has recently undergone a colonoscopy. Is there any point in the patient participating?

  If a participant in the health screening has undergone a colonoscopy and nothing is found, it will be ten years before this participant is invited to participate in the screening again. As GP, you know your patient’s health condition and you are best placed to determine whether participation is useful.

• Blood has been found in the stool of one of my patients, but there is a clear medical reason for this (eg. piles). Can my patient have the test done again?

  No, that’s not possible. The health screening is geared toward early detection of bowel cancer. Bowel cancer usually starts as a polyp. Polyps and bowel cancer can cause bleeding in the colon. That is why stools are examined for the presence of blood during the health screening.
  If blood is found, this could be caused by the condition you mentioned, but could also have another cause. Further examination will be needed to determine the cause.
  The agreement has been made within the health screening programme that if blood is found in stools, this is always a reason for follow-up consultation.

• My patient has received an invitation for follow-up consultation but is already being treated by a gastrointestinal and liver services specialist.

  In such cases, your patient can discuss with the gastrointestinal and liver services specialist whether participation in the follow-up consultation is useful. If your patient is under surveillance and will not be participating in the follow-up consultation, he/she can deregister for the health screening. That way, your patient will not receive a new invitation for admission.

• I would like to reschedule the follow-up appointment for my patient. Is this possible?

  If the planned appointment is not suitable for your patient, the appointment can, of course, be rescheduled. A new appointment can be made for another date or at another colonoscopy centre. Your patient can call us on the information line or make a new appointment via My Health Screening on our website. Please ensure that your patient reschedules the appointment via our programme and does not make an appointment directly with the colonoscopy centre of their choice. If the appointment is made via us, we will receive the feedback from the colonoscopy centre regarding the results of the follow-up consultation and will therefore know when your patient needs to be invited again.

• My patient received the result ‘follow-up consultation is required’, but I have not received any notification of this.

  Your patient will receive the results, as he or she requested the test. If your patient wants us to inform you if a follow-up appointment is needed, he or she can ask us to do this. We will then send you an electronic notification via Zorgmail regarding the result and referral.