Social association VdK on the ePA rollout: Good idea with weaknesses

Berlin. The nationwide rollout of the electronic patient record (ePA) begins on April 29th. VdK President Verena Bentele sees two threats to widespread public acceptance: "The electronic patient record offers many advantages: All important health data – such as doctor's letters or medical findings – are stored in one location and can be accessed immediately during a doctor's visit. This way, unnecessary duplicate examinations can be avoided when visiting different doctor's offices and dangerous drug interactions can be prevented." However, the VdK sees two major challenges, as it stated in a press release.

From the VdK's perspective, it was a major mistake not to legally oblige health insurers to ensure accessibility of the ePA from the outset. Currently, it appears that people with disabilities are often excluded from using the ePA because access is not barrier-free. This exclusion of patients with disabilities is an unacceptable disadvantage. The ePA could have particularly benefited people with disabilities, who are often affected by multiple or serious illnesses. (...) We therefore urgently call for a rapid solution to the problem so that people with disabilities are not disadvantaged," says Bentele.

Acceptance of the ePA also depends on the protection of sensitive patient data. "Even though the acting Federal Minister of Health emphasizes that security gaps have been closed, many people still feel a residual sense of uncertainty. (...) Knowledge about data security must urgently reach users for the ePA to be a recipe for success," Bentele said. (eb)