07.03.2024 – 11:03
Deloitte
Munich (ots)
Redemption is seamless for almost two thirds of those surveyed. The health insurance card is the method of choice. The use of AI in medicine is often seen as an opportunity
Since the beginning of the year, medical practices have been required to issue an electronic prescription (e-prescription) for prescription medications. From the patient’s perspective, this is a successful step towards the further digitalization of the healthcare system, as a current survey by Deloitte shows. 86 percent of those surveyed are satisfied with the way their electronic prescription was issued in the practice or redeemed in the pharmacy.
In most cases the prescription went smoothly. 64 percent of those surveyed said they had no problems filling their prescription. “This is good news for the urgently needed digitalization of the healthcare system, especially because the acceptance of electronic prescriptions is also high among older people,” says Ibo Teuber, partner at Deloitte and responsible for the healthcare sector. 84 percent of people over 65 are satisfied with the filling of their prescription.
App is rarely used
However, the issuing of the e-prescription does not go smoothly in all cases. For 20 percent of those surveyed, the prescription was not available at the pharmacy, for example due to a transcription error or a missing digital signature. In 17 percent, the doctor’s office was unable to issue the prescription.
A majority of those surveyed (65%) use the health insurance company’s electronic health card to redeem the e-prescription. “This widespread redemption method has certainly contributed a lot to satisfaction, as the insured are already very familiar with the health card,” said Teuber. Only 19 percent of those surveyed use a corresponding e-prescription app on their smartphone; 16 percent choose the alternative option of printing out a QR code on paper.
A representative sample of 1,000 consumers was selected for the survey. More than half of them had already redeemed an e-prescription at the time of the survey. The proportion of those surveyed who are legally insured is 88 percent, similar to the population as a whole. The survey took place in mid-February 2024.
AI more opportunity than risk
Many respondents hope that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) will bring about medicine that focuses more on people. Supporting doctors in choosing the most suitable therapy is the most important AI application area for half of those surveyed (50%). More efficient processes and therefore more time for patients are similarly important (47%), followed by the desire for the best possible course of therapy (45%)*.
However, people also associate their hopes with worries. 43 percent of those surveyed fear cyber risks and the associated data loss if their doctor’s practice or clinic uses AI. Opaque decisions (36%) or less than optimal treatment (35%) are also common concerns*.
In fact, for almost one in two (46%), the importance of AI is so great that he or she makes their choice of doctor dependent on it: 25 percent are willing to switch to another doctor if they use AI. Slightly fewer – 21 percent – are put off by the technology: for them, the use of AI is a reason to leave their current doctor. For the remaining 54 percent, artificial intelligence is not a criterion for choosing a service provider.
Overall, however, the opportunities outweigh the risks for consumers: 61 percent of the 1,000 respondents generally see the use of artificial intelligence in medicine as an opportunity. Only 26 percent perceive the technology made famous by ChatGPT as a risk.
To the e-prescription survey
About the AI survey
*Multiple choices possible.
Press contact:
Christian Gressner
Head of Media | Corporate Communications & Responsibility
Deloitte GmbH
Phone: +49 89 29036 5101
Mobile: +49 (0) 151 182 94129
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Original content from: Deloitte, transmitted by news aktuell