Latest news with #ePA
Local Germany
29-04-2025
- Health
- Local Germany
Q&A: What to know about the roll out of Germany's electronic patient file
Germany's new electronic patient file ( Elektronische Patientenakte ) has been made available throughout the country from Tuesday. Written as ePA for short, the electronic patient file is basically a digital database designed to allow doctors to access patient records and share them with others involved in a patient's care (other doctors, pharmacists, health insurance companies etc.) From Tuesday the software is being rolled out nationwide, but it will still take some weeks or months before the ePA is accessible in all of Germany's clinics. Participation in the digital system will be legally mandated for all medical offices from October. What's in my ePA? According to DPA , a patient's initial file will include include records of prescriptions for medications they take. Over time more content will be added, including records of medical treatments, vaccination history, medication plans, X-rays and other images from medical checks or screenings, etc. The idea is that over time, your ePA accumulates records and effectively allows your doctor to review your medical history during treatments. READ ALSO: What to know about Germany's new electronic patient records Who can see my medical information? With the ePA in place, when you visit a medical practice and they scan your health insurance card, doctors there will normally be able to access your electronic records for 90 days. Patients can review their own records in an ePA app provided by their health insurance provider ( Krankenkasse ). In the same app, patients will be able to adjust some settings around who can access their records and for how long. For example, you can extend or shorten the length of time a doctor can review your records. Additionally, during a medical consultation, patients may decide if a finding should be included in their file. For sensitive data, patients must be informed of their right to have it withheld. Advertisement Do I need to opt-out? The ePA is set to be an opt-out system, meaning all patients in Germany will automatically have their file saved in the system unless they explicitly withdraw their consent. Former Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, who brought forward the electronic patient file initiative, says that patients' data will be stored on secure servers and that foreseeable security issues have been worked out during the ePA's testing period. But anyone who objects to their information being stored in this way can opt out of the ePA system completely. A family doctor loads documents into an electronic patient record 'ePA' in his practice. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Daniel Karmann Most critics of the electronic filing system have highlighted the risk of sensitive health data being leaked in the event of hacks. Some organisations have voiced concerns about the potential misuse of data when medical records are compiled and shared. If you do want to opt out of the ePA, you should consider how it may affect the quality of medical care you can get in specific situations. For a standard visit to the doctor, the difference could be simply that you need to answer more questions about your medical history. But in an emergency situation, for example, without access to your ePA medical personnel could be missing vital information about medications you're taking. READ ALSO: The big healthcare changes in Germany in 2025 How do I opt-out? If you do want to opt out of the electronic patient file, you can do so at any time and have your digital medical records completely wiped. Health insurance providers should allow you to opt out of the ePA system on their website or in their patient apps. You may have also received a letter in the mail with instructions for doing so. Advertisement If all else fails, try calling your health insurance provider for more information, or sending them a letter. If you send a letter, be sure to include your full name, your health insurance number ( Versicherungsnummer ), and your date of birth. You'll also want to write a line clearly stating that you object to the creation of an electronic patient record by them. In German, you could write: "Ich widerspreche der Erstellung einer elektronischen Patientenakte durch die [Name der Krankenkasse]." You will need to sign the bottom of the letter and include the date and location as well.
Local Germany
16-04-2025
- Health
- Local Germany
Electronic patient records to launch in Germany from end of April
Starting April 29th, the electronic patient record ( Elektronische Patientenakte or ePA) will be available throughout Germany. From October, it will be mandated that all doctor's offices and clinics support it. What is the electronic patient record? Put simply, the ePA is just collecting patients' health records online in a database where medical offices across Germany can share and access them as needed - as opposed to having records only on paper or in private systems at various clinics which would need to fax or mail them to other clinics on request. READ ALSO: What residents in Germany need to know about the electronic patient file Outgoing Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) has moved to launch the ePA in an effort to streamline healthcare in Germany and improve digitalisation. The ePA system is being set up by the digital agency Gematik. For patients and doctors alike, digital records are expected to make healthcare more effective and easier to navigate. For patients, medical information - such as records of treatments and operations, X-rays and prescriptions - will all be viewable in an online portal. But perhaps more importantly, doctors can immediately see a patient's medical history including useful information on their recent treatments and medications they've been taken. This saves clinics from needing to request documents from other medical facilities - a process that is still often done via fax. READ ALSO: Why Germany is still hanging on to the fax machine Especially in emergencies, doctors being able to quickly view a patient's medical history can dramatically improve treatment and medical outcomes. A selection of health insurance cards. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Jens Kalaene A haphazard rollout The ePA's launch was planned for February of this year, but has been pushed back due to technical issues. In the meantime, it was tested for three months in around 300 participating practices in Hamburg, Franconia and North Rhine-Westphalia and is now thought to be ready for a national roll-out. In fact e-files for medical records were introduced as early as 2021 as an optional offer, but relatively few people opted to have their records saved digitally. This may have been due to a lack of awareness about the scheme. Going forward, the ePA is to be implemented automatically with an opt-out system instead. Germany's Health Ministry hopes that around 80 percent of patients in the country will participate. Advertisement What do I need to do? The beauty of the ePA being rolled-out on an opt-out basis is that you don't need to do anything to make it work - assuming you're on board with your medical records being kept in the digital system. According to the Ministry of Health, the data is to be encrypted and stored on secure servers. So only medical professionals involved with your care should be able to access your records. Reportedly, digital specialists have worked to identify security gaps in the model, and fix those problems in recent weeks. If, however, you don't want your records stored digitally in the ePA you can opt-out. Advertisement Under the framework of the ePA, health insurance companies are required to inform their members about how they can object. In most cases, this was done by mail around the beginning of this year. Insurance companies will have online and/or paper forms with which you can notify them to remove your consent for being added to the ePA. You will also be able to object retrospectively, in which case the health insurance company must then delete all of your data in the electronic file. READ ALSO: Everything that changes in Germany in April 2025
Local Germany
17-03-2025
- Automotive
- Local Germany
Everything that changes in Germany in April 2025
Cuts to Elterngeld Elterngeld (or parental allowance), which mothers and fathers receive as a partial wage replacement benefit while staying home after the birth of a child, is to be reduced in scope from April onwards. Going forward families with a high income level will no longer be eligible for the benefit. Instead it will be limited to single parents and couples who have a taxable annual income of €175,000 or less. This new limit applies to children born on or after April 1st this year. Trial period begins for digital vehicle registration documents A test run for digital vehicle registration documents will begin in April. From the beginning of the month, interested motorists will be able to test an app developed jointly by the Federal Motor Transport Authority and the Federal Printing Office. The app allows user to show their vehicle registration documents on their smartphone. If it proves successful, drivers would no longer need to obtain and keep a physical copy of these documents in their vehicles. A physical vehicle registration certificate. In April a trial period will begin for people who would rather keep a digital copy of the certificate in their smartphone. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Marijan Murat New questions added to the theoretical driving test Speaking of driving, anyone who wants to get a driver's license will face a slightly revised list of questions on the theory test from April 1st. Some questions have been deleted due to legal changes while others have been added. DPA reported that questions on turning right, on right of way regulations at intersections, and on certain traffic signs have been changed, for example. The official list of the potential questions used for drivers' licence theory tests in Germany is changed every six months. A significant change to the questions was made in April of last year . LISTED: The non-EU countries that have drivers licence exchange agreements with Germany Advertisement Electronic Travel Authorisation required for travel to Great Britain Anyone who wants to travel to the UK from countries without visa requirements, such as Germany and other EU states, will need an electronic travel authorization (ETA) in addition to their passport starting in April. According to the British Home Office, the new regulation will apply to Europeans from April 2nd, 2025. An ETA costs 10 pounds (roughly €12) and must be renewed after two years at the latest. READ ALSO: ETA application glitch bars entry to UK for some British dual-nationals Electronic patient records on the horizon A trial run for the electronic patient record (ePA) has been running since January 15th, so far only in three regions with around 300 participating practices. In mid-March, the majority federally owned digital agency Gematik wants to check whether the system is stable and can be introduced nationwide. If the agency gives a positive verdict, this could be possible from April. For patients who don't opt out of the system, all of their health records such as X-rays, doctor's letters and laboratory results would be stored in the ePA. The system is intended to make it easier for different medical practices and pharmacies to more easily share and review patients' files. According to the plans of the Federal Ministry of Health, every insurance patient in Germany is to receive the ePA – unless they object. READ ALSO: The big healthcare changes in Germany in 2025 Advertisement Easter holidays from April 18th to the 21st Workers in Germany can enjoy two public holidays in April: Good Friday on April 18th and Easter Monday on the 21st. Easter Sunday, of course, falls between the two on April 20th this year. A Swiss chocolate Easter egg is seen in craft fair. Photo: Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP If you want a bit more of a vacation than the four day weekend, you could request off April 14th to the 17th to effectively have a 10 day block off - from Saturday April 12th until Monday the 21st. Note that most businesses - including supermarkets - will be closed on the public holidays on Friday and Monday, in addition to Sunday as usual. You'd be advised to stock up on everything you need for the holiday weekend ahead of time, as shops are typically extra busy on the Saturday in between. READ ALSO: What's open and closed in Germany over the Easter weekend? Germany set to get a new coalition government Germany's incoming chancellor candidate, Friedrich Merz, has repeatedly said he wants to form a new government "by Easter", meaning before Sunday, April 20th. That would be a markedly fast formation of a new coalition government for Germany, but so far leaders of the conservative CDU/CSU parties and from the Social Democrats (SPD) have demonstrated their ability to move quickly, having already begun coalition talks and brought fourth a radical new spending proposal . According to an internal document leaked in the German press on Tuesday, the CDU wants to sign off on a coalition agreement in the week of the 14th. If all goes to plan, Germany could officially elect Friedrich Merz as Chancellor as soon as April 23rd. TIMELINE: How soon will Germany get a new government? Advertisement Wage increases for certain craft workers According to a report by Bonn's General Anzeiger newspaper, some craft workers can expect a salary increase from April. In the construction industry, wages are to rise by 4.2 percent in the west and by five percent in the east. This is to apply to workers in building construction, civil engineering or road construction.
