The head of the Patient Protection Foundation, Eugen Brysch, views the electronic patient file, which is now starting, critically. “After 20 years of preparation and billions of euros in development costs, the result for the users is disappointing” Brysch told the “Rheinische Post” (Friday edition).
“For chronically ill, care-dependent, and elderly people, the electronic patient file offers no added value. Because old records are not available” he complained.
Moreover, the expected abundance of medical information will soon overwhelm doctors in their daily practice. “After all, the E-file is nothing but a digitally accessible paper collection. Each document must be reviewed to find the relevant facts for treatment” Brysch said.
He criticized that a “machine learning” was not planned at the start. “However, only the filtering, linking, and analysis of the data masses bring the decisive advantage.”
Even non-technical people, such as those over 65, were left out, according to Brysch. “More than 20 percent of people over 65 are not tech-savvy.” These patients should not be excluded from using their E-file unrestricted.
The electronic patient file is to start on January 15 in the pilot regions of Franconia, Hamburg, and North Rhine-Westphalia. Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said on Thursday that “tens of thousands of people can be saved by the introduction.” Brysch finds this overblown. “If the Federal Health Minister claims that tens of thousands of people can be saved by the introduction, that’s completely over the top” the patient advocate said.