What have we done so far?

Before embarking on the development of the intervention, we conducted in-depth interviews with practices who had various levels of experience in multidisciplinary collaboration and/or organizing chronic care. During these interviews, we mapped out how care is currently organized, what strategies were employed to develop and implement care organization, and which obstacles were encountered. Finally, we also asked these practices what they need to make it easier for them.

We visited practices with different funding systems, solo practices, multidisciplinary practices, and interviewed general practitioners, nurses, dietitians, and receptionists. In total, about 30 healthcare providers shared their experiences and expertise with us.

The primary care landscape is complex, with many organizations involved. When developing an intervention, it's essential to involve not only the general practices but also the organizations that support them. To achieve this, we organized a meeting with stakeholders at macro and meso levels. At this meeting, 20 stakeholders representing 13 different organizations were present. During the meeting, we conducted a SWOT analysis of the project, discussed its sustainability, and explored potential partnerships.

Many general practices already utilize some form of care protocol. Since we value building upon existing experience and expertise, we are collecting these protocols to examine how they are structured and to identify commonalities.

If you have a protocol yourself, feel free to share it with us through jacardi@uantwerpen.be. The protocols will only be used for scientific research purposes and will not be shared with others.