German Pharmacists Criticize Digital Record Systems

The chairman of the German General Practitioners Association stated that doctors are struggling with disorganized electronic medical records. Patients may need to manage their own records to avoid chaos. General practitioners are already regularly filling out files, but exchanging information with specialists and hospitals remains difficult. Hospitals frequently call to request specific medical findings via telephone. Miriam Oster of the Hessian Pharmacists' Association stated that technical methods to connect doctors with patients via digital records are currently non-existent. She noted that because these systems do not function, pharmacists prefer using telephone calls instead. Oster reported that she is not aware of any pharmacies currently utilizing the electronic patient record system. Instead, many pharmacists prefer to use telephone calls to communicate. The lack of connectivity is preventing the effective implementation of the digital records. Recent surveys among health insurance companies show that less than 5% of patients who possess an electronic medical record actually use it. This assessment follows a one-year review of the digital patient record system conducted by reporter Ursula Meyer.