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How Thuisarts became the largest health platform in the Netherlands
Reliable health information for 18 million people
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Medical misinformation is everywhere, and the impact is real. It leads to poor decisions, unnecessary worry and delayed care. Thuisarts.nl offers a clear alternative: trustworthy, easy-to-understand information about illness, health and healthcare. Everything is developed in close collaboration with GPs and other healthcare professionals, and made accessible to everyone.
As the digital and strategic partner of NHG and Thuisarts, we’ve been building and continuously improving thuisarts.nl for over 12 years. The results speak for themselves: 6.6 million unique page views each month and a measurable drop in unnecessary GP visits.
In other words, Thuisarts isn’t just a website. It’s helping keep healthcare accessible for millions of people.
77% aided awareness: 77% of the Dutch population knows Thuisarts, 60% actively uses the platform
6.6 million page views per month
95.5 million touchpoints per year
12+ years of strategic partnership
Information on more than 670 topics
Medical misinformation: why a single reliable source matters
When we experience symptoms, our first instinct is to Google them. Often before we even consider contacting a healthcare professional.
The problem? Finding information you can trust isn’t easy. Medical misinformation is everywhere. A quick search can lead you to questionable claims or content that’s simply misleading. And on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, health advice spreads fast — but isn’t always accurate or relevant to your situation.
Think influencers promoting what’s supposedly “good” for your health, or neat-looking checklists that claim to diagnose conditions but have no real medical basis. It’s not just confusing, it can be genuinely harmful.
The NHG (Dutch College of General Practitioners) saw this coming early on. They recognised the need for one central, reliable source of information about health and illness. A platform that’s independent, evidence-based, written by doctors and accessible to everyone in the Netherlands. One that covers the full spectrum: from GP care and hospital treatment to self-care at home.
Of course, building a website is one thing. Getting millions of people to actually find it, trust it and use it is something else entirely. And keeping it relevant is an ongoing effort. User expectations evolve, technology moves fast, and the healthcare landscape keeps changing. Staying ahead of that requires more than a one-off build. It calls for a long-term, strategic partnership.
Challenge
How do you provide millions of people in the Netherlands with reliable, evidence-based health information, while at the same time easing the pressure on the healthcare system? And how do you build a platform that keeps up with the ever-changing digital expectations of such a large and diverse audience?
Solution
The answer: thuisarts.nl A Drupal-based platform that has grown into the go-to website in the Netherlands for information on illness, health and healthcare. What started as a website project has evolved into a long-term strategic partnership. Together, we’re continuously building and refining the platform. With one clear goal: shaping the future of digital self-care.
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NHG x iO: a strategic partnership built to last
Thuisarts didn’t become what it is today by chance. Its success is rooted in a long-term partnership between NHG and iO.
NHG, the scientific association for general practitioners in the Netherlands, represents the majority of Dutch GPs. Through research and clinical guidelines, they play a key role in shaping primary care. Thuisarts is a natural extension of that work — a platform where 18 million people can access reliable health information.
Our collaboration with NHG started over 12 years ago. What began as a website project has grown into a true strategic partnership. One where the lines between both teams have gradually blurred. As NHG’s digital partner, we help drive the continuous development and innovation of the platform we’ve built together.
Today, our developers, UX designers, digital strategists and SEO specialists work closely with the Thuisarts team, both remotely and on-site. It’s an ongoing cycle of optimisation and innovation.
What makes it work? Trust, and a strong sense of complementarity. Different experts, different disciplines — but one team. Not working alongside each other, but truly working together.
Our collaboration:
More than 12 years of partnership
Team-as-a-service: developers, UX designers, digital strategists and SEO/GEO experts
Daily contact, with regular in-person collaboration
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From website to healthcare ecosystem
Phase 1: A Drupal foundation built for growth
We built Thuisarts on Drupal, a CMS we’ve been working with for over 15 years. It’s a strong fit for large-scale content platforms dealing with sensitive information, offering flexibility, structure, and robust privacy and security features. Just as importantly, Drupal is user-friendly. It allows the Thuisarts team to independently create, edit and publish content without friction.
Over time, Thuisarts evolved into a central distribution hub for healthcare information aimed at the Dutch public. Waiting room screens, mobile apps and healthcare websites such as Apotheek.nl are all connected to this single platform. This technical foundation made it possible to scale content safely, reliably and at speed — while ensuring Thuisarts remains accessible to millions of users.
Phase 2: From maintenance to strategic collaboration
After its launch, Thuisarts initially entered a more traditional maintenance phase. But in recent years, that collaboration has evolved into a full team-as-a-service model. Week after week, a dedicated team of developers now works side by side with Thuisarts on optimisations and new features. The shift is clear: from reactive maintenance to proactive, strategic thinking. Together, we’re helping shape the direction of digital healthcare in the Netherlands.
The result: faster iterations, improved user experiences, and a platform that evolves alongside changing healthcare needs.
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Phase 3: One team, one mission for digital healthcare
Today, our teams operate as one integrated product team. The line between organisations has been deliberately blurred. And that’s exactly what makes it work. It enables us to move quickly from strategy to execution, without losing alignment or quality along the way.
Two recent examples illustrate this well. First, the rollout of a new visual identity on the platform. This wasn’t a client–supplier project, but a true co-creation effort — from concept to design to launch, done together.
Secondly, the evolution of the API platform. Within just 18 months, it developed into a self-service B2B portal, allowing other healthcare providers to integrate directly with the Thuisarts ecosystem.
This integrated way of working means Thuisarts can innovate faster and onboard new partners more easily — without compromising on reliability or quality.
"We are no longer just executing what is asked, but acting as a strategic partner who actively contributes ideas on how to strengthen the Thuisarts mission."
Maurice, Project Manager Thuisarts at iO
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The result: fewer unnecessary healthcare contacts, better-informed patients
Thuisarts has grown into the most visited health website in the Netherlands and was named the country’s most popular health website of the year in 2018. With 77% brand awareness and 60% active usage, it has become a key part of how millions of people look up and understand information about their health.
Research from Leiden University Medical Centre shows that Thuisarts also leads to fewer unnecessary interactions with healthcare providers. In a time of rising healthcare costs and increasing pressure on primary care, that’s a meaningful impact. It helps ease the burden on the healthcare system, while at the same time ensuring patients come to consultations better informed and better prepared.
All content is written in plain, accessible language, so it’s clear and usable for everyone — regardless of health literacy or background.
And these results aren’t the finish line. They form a solid foundation for continued growth, improvement and innovation.
Measurable impact on healthcare use and society
- 6.625.000Monthly page views
- 95.500.000Annual touchpoints
- 16.000.000Social media impressions
- 77%Aided awareness
- 60%Active users
- 99%Usage by GPs
The future of Thuisarts: ready for scale, AI and personalisation
Our collaboration doesn’t stop here. Together, we’re building a future-proof platform that supports Thuisarts as it continues to grow and evolve.
As the platform scales, more advanced capabilities become essential, including AI integration, personalisation, mobile apps and improved accessibility. These are key focus areas we’re actively developing together, fully embedded within the existing ecosystem.
The ambition remains clear: Thuisarts as the first place people turn to when they want reliable information about illness and healthcare. And us as the long-term strategic partner, working alongside Thuisarts to ensure a stable, accessible platform for the Dutch public.
Do you also want to improve the patient journey?
Have a chat with Peter Smit about your challenge to discover your opportunities.
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