Bergman Clinics: A Digital Entrance to Healthcare

Challenges

In their existing system, patients often had limited visibility into upcoming appointments, treatment plans, and progress updates. This left them dependent on staff for even the most basic information, reducing their sense of control. Many patients ended up waiting to speak with someone about their care—a phone-based bottleneck that caused frustration and anxiety.

On the clinical and administrative side, staff were overwhelmed with repetitive tasks like appointment scheduling and data entry, tasks that took time away from more meaningful patient interactions. It became increasingly clear that a modern, patient-centric solution was needed.

Simultaneously, Bergman Clinics introduced digital care pathways for specific appointment types, developed in collaboration with Platform24. These pathways guide patients through questionnaires, SMS/email notifications, and educational materials. By structuring each patient’s journey—whether it’s a consultation, procedure, or post-op follow-up—into a coherent digital flow, administrative workloads are greatly reduced behind the scenes.

“A Bergman app like this is from now; papers are from 10 years back— we needed to do something about it,”
— Floris de Vos, Vascular Surgeon, Bergman Clinics

Bergman is still in the process of full roll-out, but already now they have around >3000 patients logging in on a weekly basis.

Embracing Integration and Scalability

A key component of this digital transformation was ensuring that the new tools fit seamlessly into Bergman Clinics’ existing workflows. With help from RPA and direct integrations in partnership with our EMR supplier, patient data automatically syncs to the EHR, alleviating concerns about juggling yet another system. The modular nature of the Platform24 solution allowed Bergman Clinics to tackle its biggest pain points—online appointments and structured care pathways—while leaving room for more advanced functionality in the future.

Lessons Learned

One major takeaway was the need to think beyond individual treatments when implementing change. Though it might be tempting to optimize each care pathway separately, Bergman Clinics discovered that this approach often adds unnecessary complexity and operational strain.

“Rather than focusing on one pathway at a time, we needed a functionality-driven approach across multiple care pathways,” explains Suzanne van Rest, Business Transformation Lead,  Bergman Clinics. “By taking a broader view, we avoided disruptions and made sure everything was integrated effectively.”

Another lesson was striking the right balance between clinical and business needs. While the core mission is always to provide excellent patient care, true digital transformation demands that operational teams be fully engaged. Visual and intuitive processes, combined with open communication, helped align everyone involved.

Working alongside Platform24, Bergman Clinics has been creating a unified timeline that applies to all treatments and departments. This timeline enhances patient control—providing clear steps for preparation and important actions—while simultaneously tackling operational hurdles.

“Platform24 has been a true partner, actively listening and adapting to our needs. Their platform offers a broad range of functionalities, and they’ve been open to co-developing new capabilities with us,” adds Suzanne van Rest.