A Pilot Phase for Electronic Patient Records in Germany
The pilot phase for electronic patient records (ePA) has started in the German regions of Franconia, Hamburg, and parts of North Rhine-Westphalia. The four-week test phase, which began on Wednesday, aims to evaluate the ePA in real-world practice, according to Health Minister Karl Lauterbach.
After the test phase, the rollout of the ePA is expected to begin, with the Ministry of Health aiming to make the electronic patient record available to all Germans in the near future, likely within the current government term, but a specific date has not been announced.
Lauterbach believes the ePA will revolutionize the healthcare system, allowing for better medication management and reducing adverse reactions to medications, which currently claim the lives of several thousand people each year. He claims that the ePA will save the lives of tens of thousands of people annually by preventing medication incompatibilities.
The Chaos Computer Club had previously raised concerns about the security of the ePA, but the Minister dismissed these worries, stating that the security of the ePA has top priority and has been confirmed by the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI).
During the pilot phase, various use cases will be tested, including the upload of documents, access to medication lists, and the modification of metadata. The frequency of tests is also regulated, and the pilot phase will be accompanied by regular status reports and error analysis from the digital agency “gematik”.
In the future, health insurance companies will create an ePA for all insured individuals, which will not contradict the government’s plan. After the successful completion of the pilot phase, the ePA will be rolled out nationwide, with all healthcare providers required to use it.