The German model of digital healthcare services tends to be less service-oriented in a country comparison with Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Denmark, Estonia and Australia. This is the conclusion of an analysis by scientists. The Scientific Institute of Private Health Insurers, or WIP, compared seven countries and their e-health applications. The authors of the study, „E-health applications in country comparison,“ were Dr. Frank Wild and Daria Kozica.
According to the study, Germany tends to lag behind in terms of service solutions and value-added services, because these factors are competitive tools used by payers, but according to the analysis, they are being used far too late in this country, even though they would offer patients and insureds real added value. Insured persons often do not properly recognize the benefits of digital health services. In order to stimulate more acceptance and interest, some countries would have to serve as role models. However, the functionality of e-health applications varies greatly from country to country. While Poland is lagging behind because the fewest applications are widely available, Estonia is right up there. The Estonians have the most advanced level of development, according to WIP, in part because they handle 95 percent of all patient data digitally and use e-prescriptions in 99 percent of cases.
In Denmark and Estonia, all 27 available digital health applications are used, while in Germany only the health information portal, including a doctor search, functions nationwide. In the two Nordic countries, everything is handled centrally, from searching for health information to finding a doctor to making an appointment.
However, the authors, who consider the German version to be too academic, also point out that the stages of expansion vary in the country comparison; there is a wide gap between theory and practice. Nevertheless, the Polish system comes out on top. However, Dr. Wild and Kozica believe that Germany could be further ahead if service solutions and value-added services were not underrepresented in the range of products and services. However, many of the seven countries compared are already working with electronic patient files (ePA), digital doctor’s letters and findings, and electronic prescriptions; Germany is still in its infancy.
Source: www.aerztezeitung.de