Spanish HCB Hospitales introduces online care with Dutch technology

After a market survey, HCB Hospitales (Hospital Clínica Benidorm) has chosen the BHH member Webcamconsult to implement digital care in the hospital. Doctors use online tools to communicate with patients from different countries. The Spanish hospital specializes in serving care recipients from both home and abroad. Due to the geographical distance, it is very important for both the client and the practitioner that there is a flexible choice in the type of appointment.

For example, an online consultation can be used for an exploratory and/or control conversation, while a personal consultation obviously remains necessary for a physical examination.

Arthur Lievaart of HCB Hospitales: "HCB Hospitales is an international private hospital, located in the Marina Alta and Marina Baja region, where many foreigners with different nationalities live or spend the winter. Patients travel specially from the Netherlands and other countries to the hospital for operations and rehabilitation, a phenomenon that is known as medical tourism. The collaboration with Webcamconsult is aimed at attracting foreign patients through digital intake and aftercare, where real-time translation is possible for communication between practitioner and patient."

First Spanish hospital starts with Dutch e-health technology

Recently, the Centro Médico Alfaz clinic started using the services of Webcamconsult. Now follows the first Spanish hospital, HCB Hospitales, which will also use the services of the Dutch e-health company. CEO Bert van Gerwen about the collaboration: "Just as other sectors use technology to improve their services, the healthcare sector is increasingly opting for solutions that meet the wishes of patients. We already serve many hospitals in the Netherlands, and we are proud that Spain now also finds its way to our company. For us, both the practitioner and the patient are central, which is why we keep Webcam consultation as accessible as possible without sacrificing options. An example of this is real-time translation. HCB has many international patients, and it is important that there is clear communication with the doctor."

Demonstration project: Collaboration HCB Hospitales and Webcamconsult

The demonstration project within HCB was set up in collaboration with Webcamconsult. This project aims to share experiences and knowledge about online care with other hospitals in Spain. It is an initiative that offers other hospitals the opportunity to learn from the implementation and results of online healthcare services at HCB Hospitales.

Goal of the project:

• Sharing experiences and insights regarding online care.
• Provide information to other hospitals about the benefits and challenges of online care.
• Stimulating the adoption of online healthcare services within the Spanish healthcare sector.

"We have linked the Webcamconsult application to our EPD so that we do not have to switch systems. We aim to use webcam consultations in all our outpatient clinics at various locations. Doctors also have the option to provide a consultation from another location via their laptop," says Arthur Lievaart of HCB Hospitales.

Hospitals in Spain that want to know more about this demonstration project or are interested in the experiences and results of the pilot can contact HCB Hospitales or Webcamconsult.

This demonstration project represents an important step towards the digitalization of healthcare in Spain and provides a valuable source of information for hospitals considering implementing online healthcare services.