E-patient file: Bitkom, ICU physicians and medical ethicists welcome launch

With the new electronic patient file, data should be available – on the one hand for more efficient treatment, and on the other for research. The digital association “Bitkom welcomes the introduction of the electronic patient file [...]. This will improve treatment processes and drastically reduce bureaucracy. This will make patients more confident and empowered,” says Bitkom Managing Director Dr. Bernhard Rohleder with conviction. According to a Bitkom survey, 71 percent of people in Germany want an ePA.

“It is now important that practices and clinics also introduce their patients to the ePA and actively strengthen trust and acceptance. [...] With the launch of the ePA on January 15, we can catch up and make our healthcare system more efficient and future-proof,” says Rohleder. But it will be a while before we actually catch up. Even in the model regions, the software, and processes are not working properly; only yesterday – just before the deadline – was one of the required ePA file systems approved.

Opposition “unreasonable”

After various experts have advised against the electronic patient file for now, the Secretary General of the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (DIVI), Uwe Janssens, has also spoken out and advises against it. “From a medical perspective, it is completely unreasonable to object to the use of electronic patient records,” said Janssens in an interview with the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper. With the ePA, “vital information” would be available quickly and securely. Janssens lists “medication plans, pre-existing diagnoses, doctor's letters, laboratory values and blood groups”. However, the electronic medication list will probably be added first when ePA 3.0 is launched. Doctor's letters are already available with the ePA version 2.6 and emergency data has also been stored on the electronic health card for years.

Although there are still security gaps, these should be addressed due to the many advantages of the electronic patient file, as medical ethicist Alena Buyx says in an interview with Die Zeit. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach promptly contradicted Buyx's statement and repeatedly said that the security problems for the launch in the model regions in practices in Hamburg, Franconia, North Rhine and Westphalia-Lippe have been solved and that the nationwide rollout should not start any sooner. Nevertheless, the health insurance funds want to create an ePA for all those with statutory health insurance from January 15.

(mack)