General practice in the Netherlands: major findings from the second Dutch National Survey of General Practice.

Westert, G., Schellevis, F., Zee, J. van der General practice in the Netherlands: major findings from the second Dutch National Survey of General Practice. In: G.P. Westert; L. Jabaaij; F.G. Schellevis. Morbidity, performance and quality in primary care: Dutch general practice on stage. Oxon: Radcliffe Publishing, 2006. p. 3-9.

This chapter presents the major findings of the second Dutch National Survey of General Practice (DNSGP-2). Empirical results show that general practitioners (GPs) in the early 2000s are still gatekeepers in the Dutch health system. Furthermore, it is observed that general practice in the Netherland is accessible and community oriented. GPs take quality serious. The total quality score, which indicates the extent to which the actual performance in general practice is in accordance with the guidelines, is high. General practice has been shown also to be efficient: the approximately 8000 GPs in the Netherlands consume less than 5% of the Dutch healthcare budget. (aut. ref.)