--- title: "Glossary: Dutch healthcare terminology (English) | HeyDoc" description: "Definitions of terms you may encounter in Dutch primary care, from BSN to FHIR, SOEP, LSP and ZorgDomein. HeyDoc, Leiden." url: https://heydoc.nl/en/kennisbank/glossary-dutch-healthcare-english lang: en source: heydoc.nl generated: 2026-04-24T20:58:30.843Z --- # Glossary: Dutch healthcare terminology (English) Updated24 Apr 2026 Definitions of terms you may encounter in Dutch primary care, from BSN to FHIR, SOEP, LSP and ZorgDomein. HeyDoc, Leiden. # Glossary: Dutch Healthcare Terminology The Dutch healthcare system has its own vocabulary, often opaque to international readers. This glossary defines the most commonly encountered terms in Dutch general practice and health IT - covering both the clinical side and the digital infrastructure behind it. --- ## A to D **AGB-code**- A unique identification code assigned to every healthcare provider and institution in the Netherlands (Algemeen Gegevensbeheer). Every GP practice, hospital, physiotherapist, and pharmacy has an AGB-code. Used in billing, referrals, and electronic messaging. **ANW care**- Evening, Night, and Weekend care (*Avond-, Nacht- en Weekendzorg*). The organised out-of-hours GP service delivered through regional GP centres (HAPs). Your own practice is not available; a duty doctor handles urgent but non-emergency cases on a rotating basis. **AORTA**- The national infrastructure for secure healthcare data exchange in the Netherlands, managed by VZVZ. The framework within which the LSP operates. **AVG / GDPR**-*Algemene Verordening Gegevensbescherming*, the European General Data Protection Regulation. Medical data is classified as a special category, subject to stricter rules for storage, access, and security. **BIG register**- Register of the*Wet BIG*(Professions in Individual Healthcare). All healthcare providers using a legally protected title are registered. Publicly searchable at bigregister.nl. A GP's BIG number uniquely identifies them; you can verify registration at any time. **BSN**-*Burgerservicenummer*. The unique identification number assigned by the Dutch government to every resident. One number for life, regardless of changes in address, name, or insurer. Nine digits satisfying the eleven-proof arithmetic check. Legally required at every care contact under the Wbsn-z. Bring valid ID to every healthcare appointment. **CCG**-*Continuïteit van Zorg Gegevens*(Continuity of Care Data). A Nictiz qualification track for GP information systems, covering structured transfer of clinical data when a patient changes practice or is seen by a colleague. Uses FHIR STU3 format. --- ## E to H **eHerkenning**- The Dutch government authentication system for businesses and healthcare providers accessing digital government and healthcare services. **FHIR**- Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources. The international standard for clinical data exchange, developed by HL7 International. Current production version: R4. HeyDoc is built on FHIR R4. Data stored in FHIR is structured as machine-readable resources, not plain text - making it transferable between systems without manual re-entry. **G-Standaard**- The Dutch national drug reference database managed by Z-index, updated weekly. Contains drug names, dosages, interaction codes, contraindications, and reimbursement rules. The backbone of medication safety in every GP and pharmacy system in the Netherlands. **GGZ**-*Geestelijke Gezondheidszorg*. Mental healthcare. Ranges from basic GGZ, accessed via the GP or a POH-GGZ, to specialised GGZ for complex psychiatric conditions. **HAP**-*Huisartsenpost*. The regional out-of-hours GP centre for urgent but non-life-threatening complaints when the regular practice is closed (evenings, nights, weekends, public holidays). The duty doctor there has limited access to your file unless you have LSP consent. **HIS**-*Huisartsinformatiesysteem*. GP information system. The software environment used for patient records, prescriptions, referrals, and billing. The Dutch market is dominated by a handful of legacy systems; HeyDoc is a cloud-native FHIR R4 alternative. **HL7**- Health Level Seven. The international non-profit developing standards for clinical data exchange: HL7 v2 (the workhorse behind most current hospital messaging), HL7 v3, and FHIR. **HWG**-*Huisartswaarneemdossier*. A standardised clinical handover document used when a patient is seen by a covering colleague or at the HAP. Contains the essential elements needed by a clinician who does not know the patient. --- ## I to L **ICPC-2**- International Classification of Primary Care, version 2. The coding system for general practice, mandated in the Netherlands for diagnosis registration. Unlike ICD-10 (used in hospitals), ICPC-2 registers complaints and processes rather than final diagnoses. Includes z-codes for social and environmental factors - occupational stress, housing problems, relationship difficulties - allowing contextual documentation that goes beyond purely biological diagnoses. **ICD-10**- International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision. The WHO's global diagnostic classification system, primarily used in hospitals. Different from ICPC-2, which is primary-care specific. **LOINC**- Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes. International standard for identifying laboratory tests and clinical observations. A LOINC code attached to a blood pressure measurement means any system, anywhere, can interpret that measurement correctly without guesswork. **LSP**-*Landelijk Schakelpunt*(National Switching Point). National infrastructure for secure medical data exchange between providers, managed by VZVZ. Opt-in basis: your explicit consent is required before any provider outside your own practice can access your data. If you use chronic medication, LSP consent is meaningfully valuable in out-of-hours situations. Check or update your consent at volgjezorg.nl. --- ## M to P **MedMij**- The standards framework governing Personal Health Environments (PGOs) in the Netherlands. Defines how patient-controlled health apps can securely retrieve data from healthcare providers. **M&I procedures**-*Modernisering en Innovatie*. A category of additional diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in general practice that can be billed separately from the standard subscription tariff. Examples: spirometry for COPD diagnosis, 24-hour blood pressure monitoring, minor surgical procedures (e.g. mole removal), Doppler examination, fundoscopy. Each carries a specific NZa tariff. Purpose: compensate GPs for tasks that would otherwise require secondary care referral. **NHG**-*Nederlands Huisartsen Genootschap*(Dutch College of General Practitioners). Develops clinical guidelines (NHG-Standaarden) and the NHG triage protocol used by practice assistants to assess urgency of incoming calls. **Nictiz**- National knowledge centre for healthcare digitalisation. Develops national information standards and the qualification processes that GP information systems must complete to integrate with national infrastructure (LSP, ZorgDomein, MedMij). **NZa**-*Nederlandse Zorgautoriteit*(Dutch Healthcare Authority). Regulator and tariff-setter for Dutch healthcare. Sets the maximum tariffs for GP care, including the abonnementstarief, passanttarief, and M&I procedures. Current tariffs published annually at nza.nl. **Passanttarief**- The out-of-practice consultation tariff. A per-contact rate set by the NZa for patients not registered at the practice: tourists, temporary residents, people needing urgent care outside their own practice area. Separate from the subscription tariff paid by registered patients. **PGO**-*Persoonlijke Gezondheidsomgeving*(Personal Health Environment). A MedMij-certified app through which patients can view their own medical data from multiple sources: consultations, medication, lab results, problem list. Separate from what the GP practice provides; you manage access yourself. **POH**-*Praktijkondersteuner Huisartsgeneeskunde*. Practice Support Nurse. A specialist clinician working alongside the GP. POH-Somatiek handles chronic disease management (diabetes, COPD, cardiovascular risk). POH-GGZ handles mental health. Their involvement frees GP consultation time for more complex cases. **Poortwachtersmodel**- The gatekeeper model. The Dutch principle that the GP regulates access to specialist and secondary care. With few exceptions, a GP referral is required before you can see a hospital specialist. --- ## R to Z **SNOMED CT**- Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms. A comprehensive international clinical terminology enabling unambiguous recording of diagnoses, procedures, and observations. Increasingly used alongside ICPC-2 in Dutch systems for more granular and internationally portable coding. **SOAP / SOEP**- Subjective-Objective-Assessment-Plan. The structure for recording every contact in the Dutch GP file. In Dutch:*Subjectief-Objectief-Evaluatie-Plan*(SOEP). After years at the same practice, SOAP entries form a detailed longitudinal account of your health history. **UZI**-*Unieke Zorgverlener Identificatie*. The identification system for healthcare providers in Dutch digital infrastructure. UZI certificates are digital certificates that cryptographically prove the identity of the provider who wrote a prescription, sent a referral, or accessed a file. **VECOZO**-*Veilige Communicatie in de Zorg*. The secure platform for billing and electronic messaging between healthcare providers and health insurers. GP practices submit monthly billing files through VECOZO, which forwards them to the relevant insurers. **VZVZ**-*Vereniging van Zorgaanbieders Voor Zorgcommunicatie*. Manages the LSP and the national AORTA infrastructure for secure healthcare data exchange. **Wbsn-z**-*Wet gebruik burgerservicenummer in de zorg*. The Dutch law requiring use of the BSN as the identifier at every healthcare contact. The legal basis for asking for your ID. **WGBO**-*Wet op de geneeskundige behandelingsovereenkomst*(Medical Treatment Contracts Act). The core law governing the GP-patient relationship. Mandates record-keeping, 15-year retention (or until your 28th birthday if later), your right to view your complete file, right to receive a copy, right to request corrections, and under specific circumstances the right to have parts of your file destroyed. **Z-index**- The Dutch organisation that manages and distributes the G-Standaard. Every GP and pharmacy system in the Netherlands subscribes to Z-index's weekly updates. **ZorgDomein**- The dominant electronic referral platform in Dutch general practice. When a GP refers you to a hospital or specialist, the structured referral letter is sent in real time through ZorgDomein. At the moment of sending, you are already in the receiving institution's intake system. **ZorgMail (ENOVATION)**- Secure electronic messaging service for healthcare providers. Used to send specialist letters, laboratory results, and other clinical correspondence between providers in a GDPR-compliant format. --- Written by**HeyDoc**· HeyDoc GP practice, Leiden. This article is general information and does not replace a personal consultation. Questions?[Register with HeyDoc](https://heydoc.nl/patient-worden)or[get in touch](https://heydoc.nl/contact).