artsencompassing

artsencompassing is a concept used in Dutch-language healthcare discussions to describe an approach to medical care that aims to be comprehensive and integrated across medical specialties, with physicians playing a central coordinating role. The term functions as an umbrella notion rather than the name of a single program, applied to discussions of how care can be organized to meet patients’ needs over time and across settings.

Its scope typically includes prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care, and it seeks to align care across general practice, hospitals, home care, and community services. Core principles include continuity of care, patient-centeredness, coordination across professionals, and equity of access.

In practice, artsencompassing has been linked to policies that promote primary care reform and multidisciplinary teams, often within models such as ketenzorg, where a central clinician, typically a huisarts (general practitioner), helps coordinate a care chain across settings. The use of shared electronic health records and standardized care pathways is commonly advocated to support integration.

Because it is not a fixed program, the term is used variably in different regions and debates. Proponents argue that it clarifies objectives for integrated care, while critics note that ambiguity and limited resources can hinder implementation and measurement of outcomes.

Despite the lack of a formal definition, artsencompassing appears in policy discussions as a descriptive target for achieving more coherent, continuous, and patient-centered medical care.