Last week, Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn presented a draft for a „Patient Data Protection Act“ to the Federal Government. The aim is to make the planned electronic patient file as secure as possible, while at the same time making their data available to patients for use. Spahn stressed, however, that the e-File is to be voluntary and will not be comprehensive at the beginning. From 1 January 2021, it should be possible to have data such as regular medication prescriptions, X-ray images and medical findings entered by doctors and hospitals. However, data concerning, for example, vaccinations, the maternity pass or the yellow children’s examination booklet will only be visible in the e-File from 2022 onwards. Similarly, patients will not be able to determine which doctor is allowed to view which part of the file until 2022 – at the beginning, the electronic card can only be released in its entirety. Eugen Brysch, the member of the board of the German Foundation for Patient Protection, criticized Spahn for this approach.
With the launch of the e-File from 2021, there will also be an app with which insured persons will be able to view their data on their smartphones and add values such as blood glucose measurements. This app is to be provided by the health insurance companies and, according to Spahn, similar to online banking apps, will meet the highest security standards, for example by incorporating two-factor authentication. From 2021, it will also be possible to receive prescriptions directly on the smartphone via an app, so that, for example, prescriptions for long-term medication will no longer have to be picked up personally from doctors. However, the prescriptions app is planned to be independent of the e-file. From 2023 onwards, the e-File will also offer the possibility of making the data of the insured voluntarily available for research purposes: According to a survey by the digital association Bitkom, around two-thirds of Germans would be prepared to use an e-File on a permanent basis.