The rollout of Germany’s electronic patient record (ePA) system is facing significant challenges, prompting calls for improved patient education and system adjustments. Current usage rates remain low, raising concerns about the long-term viability of what has been described as a crucial healthcare initiative.
Markus Beier, national chairman of the General Practitioners’ Association, voiced anxieties regarding the system’s potential to fail if current trends continue. He emphasized that a well-implemented ePA holds the promise of significantly improving and streamlining patient care, but the current version is reportedly not user-friendly.
Beier cited a complex registration process and technical instability as major impediments to adoption. Practices are regularly encountering access issues, hindering the practical application of the system.
He has urged health insurance companies to take a more proactive role in educating patients, criticizing the current approach as inadequate. Instead of a coordinated, large-scale information campaign, insurance companies have primarily sent out limited, general informational letters. Beier suggested that a more substantial investment of resources – leveraging the substantial administrative budgets of these companies – is needed to effectively inform and engage insured individuals. The observed outcome in practices indicates that most patients have yet to engage with the ePA.