What real benefits do these innovations bring, and what legal and practical aspects need to be considered?

E-prescription: Simplifying drug supply

The e-prescription revolutionizes the issuing and dispensing of medications. Whereas paper prescriptions were previously prone to loss or misunderstandings, the e-prescription relies on digital solutions. The prescription is fed directly into a central telematics infrastructure and is available to patients via an app or a digital prescription ID.

The advantages at a glance:

• Efficiency: No more paper, administrative effort and error susceptibility are reduced
• Speed: Patients can redeem their prescriptions faster and more easily at the pharmacy.
• Safety: Automatic testing for interactions and contraindications.

Challenges:

• Technical implementation: Not all doctors and pharmacies are yet integrated across the board.
• Acceptance: Some users are skeptical about the digital solution
• Data protection: in order to ensure the security of health data, the requirements of gematik (Society for Telematics) must be met

Legal basis:

The introduction of e-prescriptions is regulated by the Patient Data Protection Act (PDSG), which is a key driver of digitalization. The goal is widespread use of e-prescriptions starting in 2024.

Electronic patient record (ePA): Manage health data centrally and digitally

The ePA offers the possibility of storing health data securely and centrally. Findings, diagnoses, medication plans, maternity records, and vaccination records – everything is stored in a digital health folder that patients and authorized physicians can access.

The advantages at a glance:

• Transparency: Patients have access to their data at any time.
• Optimized care: Doctors can access important information and avoid duplicate examinations.
• Time saving: Documents such as vaccination or maternity records are available at any time.

Challenges:

• Data protection: The security of sensitive health data is a key challenge, especially in light of the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
• Technical integration: the comprehensive connection of all healthcare facilities to the telematics infrastructure has not yet been achieved.
• Usage: Currently, only a few insured persons actively use the ePA. This could change with the opt-out procedure starting in 2025.

Legal basis:

The ePA is regulated in Section 291a SGB V and was introduced by the PDSG.

From 2025, all statutory health insurance holders will automatically receive an ePA unless they object (opt-out procedure)

Data protection perspectives

The processing of health data is subject to the strict regulations of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), in particular Article 9 GDPR, which regulates the processing of special categories of personal data. In the context of e-prescriptions and the ePA, the following aspects are important:

1. Legal basis: Data processing is carried out on the basis of the PDSG, which provides clear legal legitimacy.
2. Purpose limitation: The data may only be processed for the intended purposes, such as medical care and drug supply.
3. Transparency: Patients must be fully informed about how their data is processed and they retain control over its use at all times.
4. Technical and organizational measures (TOMs): Data security is ensured through encryption, access restrictions, and compliance with gematik requirements.
5. Opt-out procedure: The automatic setup of the ePA from 2025 is permissible under data protection law, as insured persons can actively object and retain full control over their data.

Conclusion:

With e-prescriptions and electronic patient records, two central elements of healthcare digitalization are gaining ground. They promise significant benefits for patients, physicians, and the healthcare system as a whole. Despite technical and legal challenges, initial experiences show that digitalization is the right path to making medical care more efficient and patient-friendly. The coming years will be crucial for further increasing the acceptance and benefits of these technologies. Transparency, data protection, and user-friendliness remain the key factors for success.

Der Beitrag Die Digitalisierung im Gesundheitswesen: Wie elektronische Patientenakten und E-Rezepte die Zukunft der Medizin gestalten erschien zuerst auf evalii - pharmacovigilance monitoring service.