Interview of Mr. Joris Vanvinckenroye

DW • 74
Interview of Mr. Joris Vanvinckenroye,
CEO Royal Doctors
“I was born with a severely abnormal right foot and a slightly deformed
hand. The Belgian doctors predicted a bleak future: Joris will never be
able to walk. My parents were not satisfied with that verdict and asked
a doctor in Paris for a second opinion. It turned out they were right.
Thanks to modern techniques and prostheses the French doctors enabled me to live a normal life : I run, jump and cycle for more than 30
years now. I even participated in a triathlon and bicycle race.
During my adolescence, a Belgian doctor
offered to make a prosthesis for my hand so
that – in his opinion – I felt less stigmatised by
its deformity. I went back to the doctor in Paris
for advice. He tested my dexterity, the feeling
in my fingers and saw that there was no real
problem. To him, his Belgian colleague’s diagnosis was merely about aesthetics and he left
it up to me to decide. I did not have an operation and had no reason to regret my decision
till today.
My personal experience taught me how
important it is to go to the right doctor. The
knowledge that a second opinion can be of
vital importance and that doctors sometimes
propose superfluous treatment, is the cornerstone of Royal Doctors’ establishment", says
Joris Vanvinckenroye, CEO of Royal Doctors.
• What are Royal Doctors’
activities?
As service provider in the medical sector
Royal Doctors focuses on three different areas,
namely preventive medicine, second opinion
and treatment. Royal Doctors is in each of
these areas the link between you, the doctor
and the hospital.
• What is meant by preventive
medicine?
Well, looking into your lifestyle, anticipating health risks, putting your mind and
heart at rest, choosing a healthy life. You
may well feel healthy at present but is that
really so? Preventive medicine ensures
that people will seldom fall ill. By collaborating with specialised centres
and specialists in preventive
medicine we limit false
positive but also false
negative results to
a minimum.
• Which check-ups do you
provide?
We offer 4 different formulas, namely Essential, Executive, Elite or Exclusive. These
will help you and your doctor to make swift
and rational decisions. Each of the 4 formulas starts with a thorough, effective check-up
based on classic examination methods such
as ECG, blood analyses, etc., depending on
how thorough they should be, how many
more exams are added each time, with the
newest exam techniques with full body MRI
or full body MRA, etc. If the existing parcels
are not entirely to your liking we can offer you
a tailor-made parcel instead.
• Nevertheless, are these exams a
guarantee for good health?
No, that is impossible as check-ups are only
a snapshot of your state of health which can
only show that you are healthy at present. The
basic message is still ‘live healthy and remain
alert’ because only this way you can prevent
diseases or, in the worst-case scenario, get
treatment fast.
• What can I expect from a
second opinion?
If you doubt your doctor’s diagnosis and
want to make sure Royal Doctors can help
you. We will ask you to fill in a questionnaire
to get a better picture of your state of health.
We also collect all your medical records and
then submit your case to our medical team.
You will receive an objective report within 10
days as speed is of the essence for the patient.
Not knowing can be so unnerving …
• Can Royal Doctors be useful
after the second opinion?
• Which future for Royal Doctors?
Furthermore, Royal Doctors entered no
permanent agreements with doctors, hospitals, etc. and is thus totally independent.
After treatment your family doctor will receive
a complete report.
We want to provide the best care for
as many persons as possible because they
deserve it.
Objectivity is also a principle for Royal
Doctors. Because our doctors know during a
check-up or second opinion that they will not
automatically be the treating physician, they
are more objective in their diagnoses and will
not recommend superfluous treatments.
Shortly, we will start a project with 8,000
family doctors who will use our second
opinion service in the context of difficult
medical cases. A family doctor may use our
services for a very low amount indefinitely and
thus offer an extra service to his patient.
If you cannot be treated in your neighbourhood we can book a hotel room for you near
the medical centre so that you can undergo
the exams and/or treatment in peace and
privacy. If language is a barrier we will provide
an interpreter or assistant who will accompany you during the whole procedure. We
will never leave our patients to fend for themselves. This is our strength in difficult times for
the patient.
Moreover, Royal Doctors works only with
proven techniques and exams. You will not
come across any experimental exams at our
hospitals.
Moreover, we will add more information
on our site about different operations and
their pros and cons but also offer patient associations a platform on our site to share experiences and provide information.
• You say that Royal Doctors sets
itself high standards. How do
you regard your services?
• I imagine that this does not fit
everybody’s budget?
Yes, if you have received a diagnosis and
need medical aid but the waiting list is too
long or the required treatment is not available
in your region, Royal Doctors will ensure that
everybody is entitled to the right medical care.
For this purpose we need your medical file to
search for the right doctors. We search for the
best hospital and doctor for your affliction
and make appointments.
First and foremost, our specialists are subjected to strict selection procedures. Our doctors
are Belgians but may, thanks to a worldwide
network, also come from abroad. Our network
enables us to immediately find the right doctor
for your problem and make an appointment.
And last but not least, you will not be just
a number for us. We strongly defend personalised health care. We will discuss with you
and your doctor all the possibilities we have
to offer. Then the choice is yours.
Health concerns everybody. Therefore, we
do not only concentrate on business managers, companies, etc. but rather try to find tailormade solutions which are affordable for everybody. As we also work closely with a number
of health insurances and mutualities we can
recover the costs from them in many cases.
In September 2010, we have launched
Royaldoctors.tv, a website providing educational information about operations by means
of videos and explanations by specialists.
To take the right decisions for your health
starts actually with an objective analysis of
the situation and correct advice. And that is
where we come in.
For more info:
www.royaldoctors.com
+32 478 18 99 44