According to an analysis by McKinsey in the „E-Health Monitor 2021,“ digitization in Germany is gaining momentum primarily because of the Corona pandemic, but the goals behind expectations have not yet been achieved in many places. One of the reasons is the inadequate exchange of data, which is not yet taking place across the board between service providers in the outpatient and inpatient sectors. In addition, the electronic patient file (ePA) and the electronic prescription (e-prescription) are still construction sites in the integrated care of patients in the German healthcare system.
The consultancy examined 30 different indicators with regard to the status quo and their developments and came to the conclusion that some things, such as telemedical care in Germany, are working well, while others are working worse. Telemedicine consultations have increased by a factor of 900. While there were only 3,000 telemedicine consultations in 2019, 2.7 million were counted in 2020. Health app downloads were twice as many.
E-health laws push digital infrastructure expansion. 90 percent of all GP practices are now connected to the telematics infrastructure (TI), but physicians fear that this could worsen the relationship between doctors and patients. Many experts for chronically ill patients would also like to see a better link between traditional medicine and digital care solutions.
Digital health applications (DiGA), especially for chronic patients, are becoming increasingly popular. However, too few are still prescribed despite being covered by the health insurance system when they are included in the list of the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM). Also, the rate of downloaded DiGA is considered weak. There are now 24 DiGAs in the BfArM, 9 of which had been downloaded 200,000 times by mid-2021. However, many have failed to date due to certifications or applications being withdrawn. Evidence of benefits and privacy requirements are high.
McKinsey also examined research publications on the evidence of e-health health solutions, which in 84 percent of cases had a positive benefit effect, impacting the health status of patient:s, as well as cost efficiency in healthcare and time savings for physicians. The study also examined the „digital health literacy“ of patients, who are open-minded but often poorly informed.
Source: www.kma-online.de