Electronic patient file: Of red-hot fingertips and hot needles
While the electronic patient file 3.0 was initially subject to delays, the motto at the ePA Summit seems to be "close your eyes and get on with it".
(Image: Tero Vesalainen/Shutterstock.com)
While, according to e-health expert Matthias Grottendiek, the "engine room is still working intensively on the reference environment for the [new] electronic patient record" and the industry recently asked for the official launch date to be postponed, the participants at the first ePA Summit are encouraging each other. The participants also expressed concern that an unsuccessful launch could lose the trust of the insured. In the past, there has been repeated talk of the test phase being far too short.
"We all know that this will be knitted with a hot needle," explained Andreas Strausfeld from the management of IT service provider Bitmarck, which counts more than 80 health insurance companies among its customers. The schedule until the launch of the ePA on January 15 is "super tight" and the implementation of specifications is still in progress. It is important to learn lessons from the process on how to do things better in the future. The launch should also be critically reviewed. The project must be made to "fly" by all those involved.
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The developers start to sweat a little. They would "probably have red-hot fingertips right now because they have a bit of work to do", says Dr. Thorsten Hagemann, Head of the eHealth staff unit of the North Rhine Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians.
Dr. Julian Hollender, Managing Director of the AOK ePA app "Mein Leben", also has stomach pains regarding the test phase of the ePA. However, all those present agreed that it was similar with the e-prescription - you have to start somewhere. Even then, loud voices had called for the launch date to be postponed.
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No dark green shrivel banana software, but basic functionalities for now
When asked whether dark green shrivelled banana software was to be expected, Stephan Neubauer, Head of the Telematics Infrastructure department at software manufacturer Medatixx, also replied that developers currently have "red-hot fingertips", against which burn ointment helps, and that "in the course of the process there are always changes", which also have to be adapted. Of course, the ePA will not have "fancy functionalities" at the start, but only "basic functionalities".
All file accounts in mid-February
Lena Dimde, Product Manager for the ePA at Gematik, explained that the first file accounts will be created when the electronic patient file is launched. Anyone living in the model regions in which the electronic patient file will be tested from mid-January will receive an ePA first. In addition, people who already have an ePA will receive the new version first. Within four weeks, all insured persons nationwide who have not objected to the creation of the EPR will receive the new version of the EPR. Among other things, the electronic medication list will provide an overview of prescribed medication.
(mack)
