Health checks in the Netherlands

Is my blood sugar good? Do I have an STI? Is my cholesterol good? Is my PSA good? Am I HIV-positive? Is my lifestyle healthy enough? Do I have cancer somewhere in my body?

• You can see your GP with these types of questions.
• You can also do a test yourself or have someone examine you:
  • Many tests can be bought online. Some can be bought at the pharmacy or chemist’s (drugstore).
  • For other tests, people sometimes visit a health clinic. For example, for an examination of the heart, an ultrasound or an MRI scan.
  • The government also offers a number of tests as part of the population screening programmes. These are:
    • having a mammogram (breast X-ray) to check for breast cancer (in Dutch)
    • having a cervical smear test to check for cervical cancer (in Dutch)
    • a faecal (poo) test to check for bowel cancer (in Dutch)

We call all of these tests health checks: You want to do a test to find out something about your health. But you do not have any symptoms or any increased risk of a disease.

Advantages

• If the results are good, a test can put your mind at ease.
• You can buy a test yourself and do it without anyone else knowing.
• Many tests can be done at home, without involving a doctor.
• After a test, you might improve your lifestyle.
• You decide what you do and do not want to check.
• You decide what you do with results.
• It is often quick and easy to do a test.

Disadvantages

• The results are not always correct:
  • If the results are bad (but incorrect), you may worry unnecessarily.
    Abnormalities might be found that later turn out not to be abnormalities after all.
  • If the results are good (but incorrect), you will be happy even though you actually are ill or at risk.
• If the results are bad, you could get a shock. It can be better not to be alone when you get the results. Bad results can cause a lot of anxiety and worry.
• Something else might be found than what you were looking for. This can make you worry.
• You often have to figure out what the results mean yourself.
• You usually have to pay for a test yourself. Some tests are inexpensive while other tests cost a lot of money.
• If you are tested for a genetic disease, the results could also be important for your children and other family members. This can be difficult.
  It is also possible that the results cause you to have problems with your health insurance coverage.
• Test manufacturers and providers are commercial businesses: they are mainly interested in earning money and making a profit. Your health is not the most important thing for a business.

If you want to find out if you are healthy, you can see your GP.

This has advantages:

• A GP is trained for this.
• You can ask your GP anything you want.
• Your GP will not share what you talk about with anyone else.
• Your GP does not aim to make a profit by checking your health.
• Your GP can also perform tests if necessary. For example, checking your blood pressure, performing a PSA test for prostate cancer, a cholesterol test, a blood sugar test or an STI test (in Dutch).
  The GP can also determine your risk of cardiovascular disease (in Dutch).
• Tests performed via your GP are reliable.

Make an appointment with your GP:

• if you have symptoms
• if you are concerned about your health
• if there is a known genetic disease in your family, such as bowel cancer, breast cancer or skin cancer (melanoma) (in Dutch)
• if a disease occurs in your family and you want to know if you also have an increased risk
• if you want to reduce your risk of many diseases (such as cancer and cardiovascular disease) by quitting smoking, by losing weight if you are overweight or by drinking less alcohol (in Dutch)
• if you doubt whether or not you want to have a certain test done

• At rivm.nl/gezondheidstesten (in Dutch) you can find questions to help you decide whether or not to have a certain test done.

The information about health checks is based on:

• the ‘NHG Position on Medical Check-ups in people without symptoms’ (NHG-Standpunt Medische Check ups bij mensen zonder klachten) (in Dutch)
• the Guideline ‘Preventive Medical Examination’ (Richtlijn Preventief Medisch Onderzoek) (in Dutch)
• information from the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) (in Dutch)