1. Digital networking can save lives. If something has to happen quickly after an accident, the doctor should in future be able to call up important emergency data directly from the electronic health card, eg information on allergies, implants or previous illnesses. With emergency data from a patient, a doctor is informed immediately. From 2018, it should be possible to save this emergency data on the health card if the patient so wishes. Doctors who create these data sets should receive remuneration.
The law also creates the basis for storing a medication plan with the electronic health card. This medication plan, which contains all the information about the medication used by the patient, ensures greater safety in drug therapy. As of October 2016, insured persons who are prescribed at least three medications at the same time should be entitled to do so. In the medium term, the medication plan should be accessible via the electronic health card. In this way, dangerous drug interactions can be avoided. This is particularly useful for patients who are being treated by several doctors at the same time, eg elderly people suffering from different diseases.
In order to achieve this goal as quickly as possible, the self-governing society for telematic applications of the health card is given deadlines and clear guidelines for completing its work. There are budget cuts for the shareholders mentioned if the deadline is not met.
2. Digital networking empowers patients. Digitization is a great opportunity for self-determined, active patients. A modern master data management is to be introduced nationwide after a nationwide trial in test regions. This creates the prerequisites for medical applications, such as an electronic patient file, with which every patient is informed about diagnosis and therapy and can therefore also be better integrated into decision-making processes. As soon as the application is available, doctors and dentists who use this application will receive a surcharge. From July 1, 2018, flat-rate reductions in the remuneration of doctors and dentists who do not take part in the online check of the insured person’s master data are planned. In addition, the access procedures to the patient compartment are simplified so that the insured can file important documents such as an electronic vaccination card there. This also strengthens the patients.
3. Data protection is a top priority. The structure of the telematics infrastructure meets the highest security standards: There are clear access rights, doctors’ access to data is logged, health insurance companies are obliged to provide information. Medical data is encrypted. The patient is always in control of his data and decides whether and which medical data is stored and who is allowed to read it. In addition, the patient can have data deleted at any time. The security standard is already higher than that of an EC card and is constantly being adapted to new developments. In the future, the telematics infrastructure with the high security standards should also be available for other applications, eg for electronic doctor’s letters. In addition, other service providers such as the nursing professions should be able to use the infrastructure. It is intended to become the central communication infrastructure in healthcare.