Health digitization: too slow for 71 percent, half are overwhelmed

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89% of Germans see digitalization in the healthcare sector as fundamentally positive, but for some it is happening too quickly. After the Federal Ministry of Health has repeatedly announced a race to catch up, almost half (48%) feel overwhelmed by the technological changes. This is the result of a recent survey by the digital association Bitkom.

According to the survey, 98% of respondents have heard of e-prescriptions and 77% have already filled one or more e-prescriptions. The electronic certificate of incapacity for work is known to 95 percent of respondents. 93 percent of respondents are familiar with electronic patient files and 71 percent intend to use them in the future.

Video consultations and health apps

The use of video consultations and health apps has also increased. 90% have already heard of video consultations and 27% of respondents have already used them, which is 5% more than in 2023. 69% use at least one health app on their smartphone. In the sports sector, pedometer apps are very popular (45%), while apps designed to improve mental health are popular in the "Health & Wellbeing" category (24%).

Despite the positive attitude towards digitalization in the healthcare sector, there are concerns and fears according to the Bitkom survey. Almost half of those surveyed stated that they felt overwhelmed by the digitalization of the healthcare system. According to Bitkom, older people in particular (53% of over 50-year-olds) have problems with this. There are also concerns about data security, especially in connection with the electronic patient file (ePA). Data protectionists regularly criticize the implementation of the ePA.

More transparency and information required

According to Bitkom Vice President Christina Raab, the German Federal Office for Information Security "has set and developed very clear and very high security standards on how to handle the patient files and the data. [...] The data is stored centrally on servers in Germany and [...] encrypted".

According to Raab, the data is stored under the highest data protection regulations in Europe. In addition, "every additional act, every process that is reproduced in the patient file is carried out in a specially protected data center, in a secure area". Access to some of the patient data, for example by doctors from other specialist groups, takes place on request for a certain period of time in a trusted execution environment.

In Raab's view, this ensures a "very high level of protection" for the processes. The public should be informed about the security measures so that they can use the patient file "with a better feeling". According to Raab, it is also important to explain the benefits of digitalization in the healthcare sector in an understandable way and to reduce reservations. She calls on everyone involved to provide more information and transparency. She also emphasizes the need to specifically promote digital skills among patients.

E-prescriptions and electronic patient records

From February 2025, the electronic patient file will be available to everyone who does not object. The current version of the ePA, which statutory health insurance providers have been offering since 2021, must be activated by the insured themselves. The ePA and e-prescription should also make more data available to researchers in future. The Federal Ministry of Health also promises to strengthen patient rights with the opt-out ePA. However, the fact that insured persons will have to actively object to the ePA has met with criticism from data protectionists and patient representatives.

(mack)