Starting from Tuesday, all medical practitioners and pharmacists will be able to use the electronic patient record (ePA) in their daily operations, according to the Federal Ministry of Health. The use of the ePA will initially be voluntary for service providers to allow them to familiarize themselves with the system and the handling of the patient records. This means that not all service providers will immediately be able to work with the ePA. The mandatory use of the ePA for doctors and other service providers will only come into effect on October 1, 2025. However, the use of the ePA will initially be voluntary for patients. The Federal Minister of Health, Karl Lauterbach (SPD), described the nationwide launch of the ePA as a long-overdue turning point in the digitalization of health care. Patients will finally have an overview of their data and findings and doctors will be able to make better decisions. This will improve the quality of care and make it possible for new AI-supported research.
Mandatory Electronic Patient Files Nationwide Starting Tuesday
