Digitalization - Patient supporters for free printing of electronic records
In the future, electronic patient files should have a free print option for all patients from the perspective of patient advocates. Otherwise, elderly, care-dependent or digitally inexperienced people would not have the ability to document their medical treatments on paper, stated the Chairman of the German Patient Protection Foundation, Eugen Brysch, to the German Press Agency. The technical implementation must take place in practices. "The costs for such paper prints should then be covered by health insurances."
Brysch welcomed legislative plans of the Federal Ministry of Justice for previous patient files, which state that a "first copy" should be made available free of charge. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) was urged to bring a comparable regulation also for the E-File on the way. So far, practices have calculated 30 cents to 2 Euro per page for such prints.
E-File as a lifelong companion
As of early 2025, all statutorily insured individuals, according to a law already passed by the traffic light coalition, should receive an E-File from their health insurance - unless the insured person objects. The file should be a personal storage space approximately for medications, findings and lab values, and should accompany patients throughout their lives.
This should also prevent medication interactions and unnecessary repeated examinations. The E-Files should be accessible via smartphones. They were already introduced as an opt-in offer in 2021, but they are hardly used yet.
- The German Press Agency reported that Eugen Brysch, the Chairman of the German Patient Protection Foundation, suggested that electronic patient files should include a free print option for consumers, considering the needs of elderly, care-dependent, and digitally inexperienced individuals.
- In response to legislative plans by the Federal Ministry of Justice, Brysch advocated for a comparable regulation for the digital patient files, known as E-Files, to ensure their free availability for all patients.
- In the context of digitalization, Germany is set to introduce E-Files for all statutorily insured individuals by early 2025, allowing them to store and manage their health information, including medications, lab values, and findings, digitally.
- Eugen Brysch noted that the widespread use of E-Files could potentially reduce medication interactions and unnecessary repeated examinations, improving the overall health management of German consumers.
