German Patients Rarely Use Electronic Health Records

One year after its introduction, the electronic patient record faces ongoing skepticism in Germany. The records currently aggregate various documents including physician letters, laboratory reports, and vaccination records. The source indicated that patients would need to manage their own digital files to prevent disorder. The discussion highlighted the difficulty in engaging patients in the digital exchange of medical information. Miriam Oster of the Hessian Pharmacists Association criticized the lack of technical integration between doctors and pharmacists in Germany. She stated that current systems do not allow pharmacists to see medications prescribed by colleagues, which prevents the prevention of drug interactions. Oster noted that no technical methods currently exist to connect pharmacists with doctors for patient care. The exchange between doctors and pharmacists is currently not functioning effectively due to these technical gaps. This lack of connectivity prevents pharmacists from seeing medications already prescribed by other physicians. Recent surveys among German health insurance companies show that fewer than 5% of patients with an electronic patient record actually use it. The system is intended to eliminate the need for patients to carry physical paper documents. The digital record system in Germany is described as being in its infancy after approximately one year of implementation.