The Deutsches Ärzteblatt, the publication with the largest circulation for medical professionals, has been able to view individual points from the draft ordinance of the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) that also concern the interoperability of digital innovations in the German health system.
According to this, digital health applications, DiGA for short, or „apps on prescription“ should enable automatic data transfer to the electronic patient record under the control and supervision of the patient so that treating other actors and service providers can obtain information about the treatment process. However, this is only possible if the patient wants it and if the configuration options have been defined in the user’s interest. From 1 April 2023, insured persons would be able to specify the frequency and reason for data transmission so that other service providers can access it.
The draft regulation further provides that the so-called Medical Information Objects abbreviated MIO – new standards for data exchange – will be given priority in interoperability questions so that data exchange via export interfaces between DiGA and ePA is also possible here. MIO of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) is there to document medical data as an example in the ePA according to a defined format in a standardized form. They are, therefore, small building blocks of information that can be used universally and in combination. The vaccination record and the maternity record, for example, are among them.
Another point of discussion in the draft also deals with so-called secure digital identities, which reflect the digital sovereignty of the health care system. The Digital Modernisation of Care Act (DVPMG), which was only recently passed, has regulated the insured person’s entitlement to this from 2023. The health insurance funds must provide this digital ID function.
The direction of travel is set by gematik. DiGA manufacturers have to orientate themselves on this so that insured persons always have to log in with the same data for authentication and only once for several services and DiGAs they use. The aim of the so-called single sign-on is that users can access personal data authorized using a single authentication procedure.
Source: www.aerzteblatt.de