A PGO is the tool you choose
A personal health environment is an app or website where you can retrieve copies of health data from several connected healthcare providers. The original records remain with those providers.
Two terms, one clear distinction
PGO and MedMij are often mentioned together
Anyone looking into digital healthcare in the Netherlands will soon encounter the abbreviation PGO and the name MedMij. They are connected, but they do not mean the same thing. Understanding that distinction helps you see where data remains, how copies can be retrieved and what a digital environment can reasonably offer.
Zorgfuik has therefore published two new guides: one about the Dutch personal health environment and one about MedMij. Both use plain language and explain what is - and is not - possible in practice.
MedMij enables secure exchange
MedMij is not an app, medical record or central database. It is the Dutch framework of agreements that sets out how PGOs and healthcare providers exchange health data securely and reliably.
What can you do with it - and what can’t you do?
Depending on the PGO, provider and available connection, you may be able to retrieve medication information, test results or documents. PGO.nl lets you compare PGOs. A MedMij label indicates that a participant meets the applicable agreements for secure exchange.
A PGO does not automatically show your complete medical record. It cannot fill in missing information by itself, and errors need to be corrected at the source. Collecting data also does not create a shared treatment plan or resolve conflicting advice and unclear responsibility.
Why this matters to Zorgfuik
Better access to information can be valuable, especially when several providers are involved. But an overview is not the same as coordination. Digital tools should not quietly shift responsibility for aligning care onto the patient.
The new guides therefore go beyond the technology. They explain useful questions to ask, the practical limits and where healthcare organisations remain responsible.