Primary Care Registration Network Dutch Caribbean region: monitoring infectious diseases on Aruba

On the Dutch Caribbean Island Aruba, a new system has been set up to monitor the spread of infectious diseases: the Primary Care Registration Network Aruba. The system is based on the Nivel's Primary Care Database (‘Nivel Zorgregistraties Eerste Lijn’ in Dutch) and the intention is to make it available to all six islands in the Dutch Caribbean.

General practitioners on Aruba are working together with Nivel to make the information about the spread of infectious diseases available. As a result, increases in disease incidence can be detected at an early stage and appropriate measures can be taken. This will lead to an improvement of public health on Aruba.

An 'Early Warning System' for infectious diseases

How does the Primary Care Registration Network function? Data are collected on all health problems for which patients visit their GPs. By collecting the many health data all GP’s of Aruba register in their electronic patient dossiers (EPD’s), we get a good and up-to-date view of the infectious diseases circulating on the island. With this ‘Primary Care Registration Network’ Aruba has thereby an 'Early Warning System' for infectious diseases.

Privacy is guaranteed

For the Primary Care Registration Network, data are collected on the health of citizens that general practitioners record in their medical files. No names and addresses of patients are collected, only coded information is. The counts of persons suffering from an infectious disease can therefore never be traced back to individuals. The general practitioners and Nivel adhere strictly to the privacy laws on Aruba and in the Netherlands.

About the project

This project is carried out with a grant from the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. Project partners of Nivel are several local public health services of the islands of the Dutch Caribbean and the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment.