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Chapter 8196y Early recognition and acknowledgement of MID in patients. Recognizing and acknowledging MID is essential for person-centred care. Practitioners experience problems in MID recognition because of insufficient knowledge and experience, limited screening tools, and discomfort discussing potential MID with patients. In addition, accessibility and full reimbursement of IQ tests are crucial. Once MID is established, it is vital to register the information in the patient’s medical file. Practitioners’ responsibility for early recognition extends to other care professionals in both the practitioners’ and the patients’ networks.y Continuity of care. Continuity of care is expected to have a positive effect on both the primary MH trajectory and the MH outcome for patients with MID. However, achieving continuity is under pressure from current societal developments, with implications for practitioners, GP practices, and healthcare organizations. Task substitution may improve continuity of care, for instance, by integrating an ID nurse practitioner (IDNP), whose job profile should be further developed.y The supportive role of patients’ (in)formal networks. Persons in the patient’s network can be supportive for both the practitioner and the patient with MID and MH problems. It is therefore important to strengthen the network by addressing potential gaps in knowledge, experience, and skills, or to refer them to social services for additional support when needed. Ensuring continuity in the patient’s network is vital to enhance collaboration and information exchange with the practitioner. y Combine knowledge and experience. Integrating multiple sources of knowledge is crucial for GPs in providing MH care to patients with MID. However, there is limited evidence-based knowledge available regarding this patient group, given the limited scientific research in this field as well as the limited accessibility of the available knowledge. Consequently, GPs have to rely more on their personal experience-based knowledge, emphasizing the need for GPs’ early and frequent exposure to patients with MID in their medical training. When Katrien Pouls sHL.indd 196 24-06-2024 16:26