Digitization: Millions of patients are not yet looking into their e-files

For important health data such as examination findings and laboratory values, most of the legally insured persons also have an electronic patient file (EPA). So far, however, they have not yet used millions for themselves to look into or block sensitive information.

Around 1.2 million are currently being actively used at the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), the general local health insurance companies (AOK) and the Barmer with a total of 44 million e-files set up, as the cash registers announced on request. Consumer advocates demand that more useful functions come quickly.

The head of the AOK federal association, Carola Reimann, told the German press agency: “So far, the number of insured persons who log into their electronic patient files is still manageable. This will hopefully change from October, because from then on doctors will be legally obliged to use the EPA and fill with relevant documents.” TK boss Jens Baas told the dpa: “We are now in the phase in which the EPA has to arrive in the general public.” Only if the file is filled and establish itself in everyday life can it develop its potential for the supply.

E-files are to fill more and more practices

According to a reform of the traffic light coalition, 70 million of the 74 million legally insured persons have received an electric patient file from their cash register since January. If you don’t want, you have to actively contradict. Use in practices and clinics is currently extended nationwide after a test phase. Doctors can fill and see the EPA, even if insured persons do not actively use them themselves. The right of access for the practices is there if you insert the insurance card on the registration counter – by default for 90 days.

The following applies to the patients: You can log into the EPA, but it does not have to. Only if you do it can you determine which doctors can see which data and what should not. For first use of the app, however, you first have to identify and unlock yourself once. To do this, you need an electronic ID card with a secret number (PIN) or the electric health card with PIN, which comes from the cash register at the request.

At the TK as the largest cash register, eleven million e-files are created, and currently actively using 750,000 insured persons. The Barmer is 7.8 million EPAs and around 250,000 active users. So far, 200,000 insured persons have created a digital identity as an access route for the nationwide eleven AOK with 25.8 million e-files. According to the mostly federal digital agency, there are a total of 3.1 million such “health IDs”.

Bundled data for better treatments

The health insurers rely on increasing use of the EPA, which is supposed to accompany patients for a lifetime. The bundling or missing data is supposed to enable better treatments and avoid multiple examinations. According to Gematik, 40 million e-files in practices, clinics and pharmacies were recently opened every week. A good 70,000 institutions participate, although it could be up to 160,000. The cash register association speaks of a “satisfactory start”. However, it also shows that there is still a lot to do for a real digitization of the healthcare system.

Cultory data showed that many insured persons were interested in viewing health data such as doctor’s letters or laboratory data through their EPA, said AOK boss Reimann. New useful functions are likely to promote use. So there is already a list of the medication taken. In addition, there will soon be a medication plan with information on medicinal doses.

Other functions should come

An update with some new functions was presenting the gematik. So a variant should be started step by step, with which you can also manage the EPA on the PC in addition to using a smartphone. A reader for the electronic health card is then used. It should also be possible to only hide a list of drugs in the EPA from the redeemed e -recipes for certain practices – and not always for everyone. This should be able to prevent conclusions about sensitive diseases from being possible.

From the point of view of the consumer advice center, this is a decisive improvement, but only a start. For findings and billing data, too, patients would have to be able to decide which institutions will receive what access. It is not absolutely necessary “that the dental practice is experienced by psychotherapy,” said the health expert of the Federal Association, Lucas Auer. Relevant information such as the vaccination pass, bonus books or X-rays should soon be available via the e-file. “Because only if the EPA offers a noticeable benefit will it find broad acceptance.”