Ruud van Eijk, Drimpy on linkages and the rise of the PBM

Personal Health Environment (PBL) specialist Drimpy has linked up with Webcamconsult's screen care platform. With this, both organisations facilitate both healthcare consumers and healthcare providers. The aim of the cooperation is to make current health data of care consumers from Webcamconsult visible within the Drimpy PGO. Webcamconsult talked about this with Drimpyfier Ruud van Eijk.  

Drimpy's healthcare platform.

Personal Health Environment (PBL) specialist Drimpy has created a link to Webcamconsult's screen care platform. With this, both organisations facilitate both care seekers and care providers. The aim of the cooperation is to make current health data of care consumers from Webcamconsult visible within the Drimpy PBM. Webcamconsult talked about this with Drimpyfier Ruud van Eijk.  

Drimpy PGO is the Personal Health Environment for healthcare consumers. How does your PBM differentiate itself from others in the market?

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Drimpy distinguishes itself by having been working on this since 2011 and then also being the very first to achieve the MedMij label in 2019. For quite some time, we have been working on retrieving medical data from healthcare consumers according to specific standards. Now that data is also becoming increasingly available, we as Drimpy ensure that we can actually process all data and therefore participate in many pilots to make this possible even faster.

A large number of parties are active in the PBM market. But consolidation seems to be taking place. How do you guys view the future of your industry?

Some time ago, there were around 30 PBMs in the Netherlands. Currently, about 15 active PBMs remain. Eventually, healthcare consumers will soon choose a generic PBM that is the most user-friendly. At least half of the current fifteen parties will then drop out to achieve a healthy PBM market. 

How do EPD providers stand on this, do they not have their own PBM solution?

EPDs often have a portal in which a healthcare consumer's data can be found at one provider. Chronic patients in particular have as many as 15 portals or more. EPDs are increasingly seeing the benefits of a PBM and are increasingly looking to collaborate with us to ensure information sharing goes further. The advantage of the PBM is that it brings all the information from different healthcare providers, hospital, GP, pharmacy, etc. together in the personal environment of the healthcare consumer.

For Drimpy, both healthcare consumers and healthcare professionals are important. Can you explain how you serve both target groups? 

MedMij consists of two parts namely a DVP (Healthcare Consumer)  and a DVZA (Healthcare Provider). A DVZA is currently created separately from the EPD and used as a kind of translation module. Thanks to our knowledge and experience, we are very good at building this translation for different EPDs as well. This in turn allows us to exchange more and better data and make it available to healthcare consumers, which is ultimately always our goal.

Shortly (when?) ago, you guys partnered with Webcamconsult. Will care providers  and care seekers benefit from this and if so, in what way?

First and foremost, users will benefit from this, as Drimpy can retrieve data and appointments from different sources, GP, hospital, pharmacy, etc. Within Drimpy, a good overview of the healthcare agenda around a healthcare consumer emerges. In this way, a these can also very easily see at the overview which appointments are Webcam consultations.

Is it also important for you to cooperate with a party like Webcamconsult, and why?

Sure, there are many parties within healthcare that do great work in a specific area. WebcamConsult is an excellent example of this. By connecting and collaborating with these parties, we can ultimately serve the healthcare provider and healthcare consumer much better.

You mentioned in the preliminary interview that about 40,000 healthcare consumers use Drimpy PBM. This use is free of charge. Can you say something about your objectives and how this is financed?

It has fortunately been agreed that making your medical data available should always be free. This way, it becomes accessible for everyone to take control of your health. To make this possible, there is a temporary regulation from the government to encourage use. In addition, we will offer more and more options and functions for which healthcare consumers will pay a small fee. In this way, we are assured of a sustainable earnings model. Another important thing to mention in this is that no PBM is ever allowed to sell medical data. Needless to say but mention it anyway.

What kind of healthcare consumers use your PBM? Only people in a healthcare pathway or is it a representation of the Dutch population?

Compare us to Linkedin. Most people create and maintain an account when they are looking for work. Other people are constantly active on LinkedIn to keep the network and direction of their career. Within Drimpy, it will be the same. A large group of people is already actively directing their health by using running and nutrition apps, for example. In this, Drimpy will also become a party where they can take overview and direction. There will also soon be a network function where it will be possible for healthcare consumers to actively keep healthcare providers informed and apply network care. Other people will only create an account and log in again the moment care is offered and they use it. But even then, it is nice if the whole history can be viewed.

Once enrolled, what does this bring to the healthcare consumer? 

Once enrolled, you can start collecting your data now, in the near future you can add your own data, share it with your healthcare network and send information back to healthcare providers. But just collecting data, having an overview of your medication and having it ready 24/7 even abroad can prevent a lot of stress the moment something happens.

And what are the benefits for the healthcare provider? 

Care providers have limited time per patient and would like to make the best use of this time. A healthcare consumer who walks in with a PBM often already has more information than the healthcare provider themselves. This ultimately provides more knowledge transfer and information for the healthcare provider, leaving more time available to deliver actual care. 

In addition to the PBM, you also offer other healthcare services. Can you briefly talk about these?

Drimpy also assists healthcare parties in information sharing. Earlier in the interview, I mentioned our DVZA applications. But also exchanges between healthcare providers through Twiin, Nuts and network care exchanges like Babyconnect (birth care), we as Drimpy are able to achieve the right exchange. Translating the data into a standard and exchanging through the various standards is really a strength of Drimpy. 

As a partner of Webcamconsult. What role do you see for screen care/video consultation within healthcare?

Care consumers and especially chronically ill people now often have to visit the specialist for check-ups to measure and see how someone is doing. This is therefore where the biggest no-show within healthcare takes place. Image care combined with the ability to keep data active within a PBM can ensure that healthcare consumers can get an image appointment immediately when values start to deviate. In this way, the healthcare provider comes much closer to the care. It gives healthcare consumers more peace and security while improving efficiency for all parties.

On screen care, are there any application areas where you think this form of digital care should be widely used?
I myself would especially like to have check-ups and results explained via screen care. All care in which there is actually no need for physical contact with the patient can very well be moved to screen-based care if a healthcare consumer so wishes. 

Any care in which there is actually no need for physical contact with the patient can very well be moved to screen-based care if a healthcare consumer so wishes.

And then the concluding question. In fact, everyone we speak to notices: how did you come up with the name Drimpy? :-)

Impi was a freedom army at the beginning of civilisation. This army took care of the tribe from the beginning, birth, to the end, death. Dr.Impy is therefore our tool that helps with all the questions users have. It is a small reference to what we stand for as Drimpy. At the same time, we think it is a name that is sweet, friendly and fun. Thus, you are Drimpyfied the moment you create an account. Tryr it especially ;-)