E-patient file: Many hospitals technically prepared, more time desired

Like other healthcare organizations, hospitals are preparing for the electronic patient file planned for 2025. The connection to the telematics infrastructure and other components as a prerequisite for the ePA have already been "implemented across the board". This is the result of a flash survey conducted by the German Hospital Institute (DKI) on behalf of Gematik, which is responsible for digitalization, and the German Hospital Federation. 473 hospitals took part in the representative survey in November. Project teams were also formed and employees were informed and trained. Overall, hospitals consider themselves to be better prepared in technical terms than organizationally.

Legal implementation deadlines as a challenge

According to the survey (PDF), the biggest challenges include adapting processes and the legal implementation deadlines. In addition, only just under half of hospitals assume that software manufacturers will have implemented the ePA modules required for hospital information systems by the end of March. "Even then, it will take time for the new technology to be fully functional in order to be able to transfer the legally required information, medical reports or reports of findings to the ePA," says the DKI.

44 percent of hospitals estimate that it will take up to three months to roll out and adapt the interfaces. Half of the hospitals assume that this will take at least three months or a year until the ePA is ready for use "in all relevant organizational units". "More than half of the hospitals surveyed consider themselves to be technically very well (9 percent) or well (45 percent) prepared for the ePA. In terms of hardware and software, they will be able to offer all or some of the services required for the ePA launch on January 15, 2025," says the DKI.

Only a third consider themselves to be ill-prepared. From an organizational perspective, 14 percent of hospitals assume that it will take longer than a year to integrate the ePA into their processes. Only five percent expect the changeover to take a month at most. Overall, psychiatric hospitals consider themselves to be better prepared than general hospitals – 51 percent of psychiatric hospitals believe that they are technically well prepared for the ePA, compared to 43 percent of hospitals.

Standstill in communication with doctors' surgeries

Only recently, a survey commissioned by the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians revealed that communication with hospitals is at a standstill. According to the survey, the sending of digital discharge letters from hospitals only works for 9 percent, although 80 percent of the doctors surveyed expect the most from this exchange. Overall, doctors in private practice are somewhat more critical of the processes and especially the communication in relation to the nationwide rollout of electronic patient records. The co-chairman of the GP association predicts a chaotic start. There is also criticism of the fact that doctors are obliged to fill in the ePA, although the necessary components are likely to remain in the beta phase for a while yet.

From mid-January 2025, all those with statutory health insurance who have not objected will receive the new version of the electronic patient file. From mid-February, not only practices but also hospitals will be able to fill the ePA, provided that the hospital information systems have been technically adapted and filling is possible. However, the software manufacturers are no longer obliged to make the systems available nationwide from mid-February – first the test phase must be successfully completed.

(mack)