Visiting the epilepsy outpatient clinic

Kempenhaeghe will invite you for a visit four to six weeks after receipt of your letter of referral. Our letter will tell you to what outpatient clinic to go.

Whenever possible, you will be invited to the outpatient clinic closest to your place of residence. The letter states the date and time of your visit. Please prepare your visit to the outpatient clinic as well as possible.

Things to take with you
Please take along at your first visit:

• Your health insurance information
• Proof of your identity (identity card, passport or driving license)
• A description and/or video recording of one or more epileptic seizures, if available
• Your medical information will be sent to Kempenhaeghe by your referring doctor.

At the Heeze epilepsy outpatient clinic you will check-in at the desk in the central hall.

Next, you will go to the outpatient clinic's secretariat. In Maastricht, Sittard, Enschede or Nijmegen you will check-in at the outpatient clinic assistant. The epilepsy outpatient clinic in Oosterhout is located at the back of the Pasteurlaan location of the Amphia Ziekenhuis. In Goes, Terneuzen or Rotterdam you will check-in at the secretariat of the outpatient clinic concerned.

Your talk with the doctor
Your first talk with the neurologist (or epilepsy nurse) will basically take one hour. You will have ample time to explain your complaints and experiences. Follow-up talks will also have plenty of time for you. Those are used to discuss the results of examinations and tests and your treatment, but there is also time to discuss any additional problems.

Diagnosing the problem and its cause
After your first visit to a doctor or other care worker you will probably have to undergo one or more examinations and tests to diagnose your problem and its cause as well as possible. The doctor or other care worker will explain what diagnostic examinations and tests will be best for you. (Information on diagnostics is available on this website too: >>Diagnostics). You will be fully informed about the nature, duration, time and place of the examinations and tests.

Generally, it takes a few weeks to analyse the results of your tests and examinations. This means that you will have to come back to your doctor or other care worker to discuss these at a later moment.

You will probably have all kinds of questions about e.g. employment, income, benefit applications, insurance, reimbursements, education or legal aid once it is clear that you, your child or partner has a serious sleep disorder. Patients of Kempenhaeghe can ask questions of such social/legal nature at the Advice & Information Desk in the main building of Kempenhaeghe in Heeze. The desk is open on Tuesday through Friday and you do not need an appointment. The desk employee knows the possibilities and resources you are entitled to, as well as the organizations such as municipalities and health insurance companies you will have to address. This support will help you find your independent way in the multitude of services. Contact information of the desk:

T +31 (0)40 227 91 93
E maatschappelijkwerk@kempenhaeghe.nl

Kempenhaeghe's employees are committed to help you, your child or family member as well as possible. However, mistakes can be made or misunderstandings can develop wherever people work. The best way to handle such problems is to discuss them with the employee concerned and (if necessary) his/her manager. If you this difficult or if the talk does not have the desired effect you may contact our complaints officer. The complaints officer is available at the Advice & Information Desk in Heeze. Contact information of the desk:
T +31 (0)40 227 91 93
E klachtenfunctionaris@kempenhaeghe.nl

The complaints officer will inform you about the various ways a complaint can be handled. Possibilities are to request mediation or to file a formal complaint at Kempenhaeghe's Complaints Committee, but other methods might do you better justice.

You may download further information here
>> click here.

The Clients Council protects the interests of Kempenhaeghe's patients. The Council consults with the board of directors and provides advice, whether asked or not asked for, about themes of importance for patients. The Council's rights and duties are laid down in the Wet Medezeggenschap Cliënten Zorginstellingen (WMCZ – Clients of Care Institutions Participation Act). The central objective of the Clients Council is to make Kempenhaeghe's employees and patients optimally aware of the patient's say and his or her space for a free choice. Kempenhaeghe's Client Council has its own website www.clientenraadkempenhaeghe.nl.

Kempenhaeghe has a privacy code to protect patient information. Treatment at Kempenhaeghe is in accordance with the Wet Geneeskundige Behandel Overeenkomst of 1 April 1995 (WGBO – Medical Treatment Contracts Act). This act:

• lays down the rights and duties of both patients and care workers 
• lays down rules for patient privacy protection and states that care workers have to handle your information confidentially
• lays down your right for information. This means that the care worker must inform you in intelligible language about your disease, examinations and tests to be performed, and your treatment
• states that you can be treated only after you have given your permission
• contains information about the representation of patients incapable of deciding about their treatment 
• regulates further issues

Treatment at Kempenhaeghe is in accordance with the Algemene Voorwaarden van de Stichting Kempenhaeghe te Heeze (General terms and conditions of the Kempenhaeghe Foundation established in Heeze). These terms and conditions have been filed with the Eindhoven Chamber of Commerce on 22 August 1994 under number 41087534.

You may download further information here
>> click here.

Apart from diagnostics and therapy, specialists at Kempenhaeghe also perform scientific research. Such research is needed to gain more knowledge and develop new and better treatment methods. This scientific research is often performed in collaboration with national and foreign academic centres.

Sometimes, cooperation of people with epilepsy is needed in scientific studies, e.g. to be able to use research data for statistics or further analysis or (temporarily) testing of new medicines. Your attending physician at Kempenhaeghe may ask you for your cooperation. He/she is also available to answer questions about scientific research.

If you decide to participate in a scientific study, you will be extensively informed about the study and the advantages and (possible) disadvantages of your cooperation. Participation is bound, for your own good, to very strict regulations. Furthermore, independent experts will check if the study is designed according to ethical and scientific correctness. Your participation is highly appreciated, but absolutely not compulsory. It goes without saying that your treatment will not be affected in any way if you decide not to participate.