Hospital docs answer patient questions on WhatsApp

A new service from Maxima Medical Center (MMC) makes it possible for patients and visitors to ask questions to their doctors on WhatsApp, the hospital announced yesterday. "We want to be where our patients are", Marijke Bax, MMC's adviser for patient communication said. "And we want to help patients in the way they find most comfortable. Whether that's by phone, Facebook, Twitter, email or in our physical hospital. With more than 9.4 million active users in the Netherlands, WhatsApp is a logical addition." Doctors will be able to answer their patients' general questions on WhatsApp. It is not intended for medically substantive questions, as it is illegal to exchange medical content information through this application. The hospital advises its patients to ask questions related to personal health conditions or diagnosis in personal conversations with their doctors.