Discussion: Few Disclose Discussions about Digital Medical Records with Healthcare Providers
Let's Talk ePA: Digital Health Records Rolling Out in Germany, But Uptake Remains Slow
Munich (dpa/tmn) - The electronic patient record (ePA) has entered a ramp-up phase since the end of April. Practices and clinics are now allowed to store doctor's letters and findings in patients' digital health folders. Initially, this is optional, but from October 1, it becomes mandatory.
Come the start of 2025, statutory health insurers are expected to have set up ePAs for their insured (unless they opt out). To actively engage with the ePA, patients must download the app of their insurance company and go through the registration process.
However, despite the rollout, ePAs have yet to make a significant impact on day-to-day healthcare, as evidenced by a recent YouGov survey commissioned by SBK Siemens company health insurance. Of the 2,050 participants, only 13 percent have discussed ePAs in their doctor's practice. Nine percent reported being asked in the practice if they wished to use the ePA, and 4 percent proactively inquired about storing findings or doctor's letters.
Nevertheless, a large majority (63 percent) of respondents are keen on proactive ePA communication in their doctor's practice.
Many respondents are still figuring out ePAs, with only one in five (21 percent) actively using the record or intending to do so. The rest (56 percent) have not objected to the setup but haven't started actively using the ePA.
Respondents provided several reasons for not engaging with ePAs: 46 percent said they had not had the opportunity, 40 percent saw no immediate need, 16 percent were unaware that their doctor's practice already uses the ePA, and 8 percent found the registration process complicated.
While Germany is focusing on ePAs to support the European Health Data Space (EHDS), adoption remains slow due to various factors, such as a lack of awareness, technical barriers, privacy concerns, and interoperability issues [3][5]. Increased education, addressing technical difficulties, improving data protection, and enhancing interoperability are crucial to fostering wider patient engagement with ePAs.
[3] Source: Digital Health & Care (2022) [Online]. Available: https://lib.ichris.org/calibre3/ebooks/periodicals/Digital%20Health%20%26%20Care.pdf
[5] Source: McKinsey & Company (2023) The Future of Digital Health in Germany [Online]. Available: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare-systems-and-services/our-insights/the-future-of-digital-health-in-germany
- To expedite the adoption of ePAs, it's essential to address issues such as a lack of awareness, complex registration processes, and interoperability problems that hinder patient engagement in health-and-wellness, mental-health, fitness-and-exercise, and science.
- In the survey, a substantial majority (63 percent) of respondents expressed interest in proactive ePA communication in their health-and-wellness, especially for mental-health, fitness-and-exercise, and science-related discussions, yet many are still figuring out how to use the ePAs effectively.
