The second digitization law on patient data protection (PDSG) in accordance with the Digital Supply Act (DVG) will soon be discussed by parliament following a vote in the Federal Cabinet. It provides for a number of changes, which have been submitted to the Deutsches Ärzteblatt as a draft. According to these amendments, the electronic prescription (e-prescription) for prescription drugs (Rx drugs) must be introduced by 1 January 2022. The draft presented in January did not yet state a date or obligation for the electronic transfer of prescriptions. However, patients will still be able to freely choose their pharmacy, which means that doctors and health insurance companies will be prohibited from assigning and influencing prescriptions. In addition, according to the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG), additional expenditure by the health insurance companies on the electronic health card (eGK) will increase the costs of social insurance. Estimates in this area assume 90 million euros. In addition, the filling of the electronic patient file (ePA) with medical data, which doctors can charge ten euros as an incentive for the one-time initial filling, will also be added. The model calculation of the BMG assumes that 20 percent of all insured persons will use this service in 2021. 14 million people in Germany would then receive the first fill-up, which would cost 140 million euros; plus 1.6 million euros for the ePA’s material costs resulting from the purchase of the SNOMED CT license (this is necessary and important in order to standardize descriptions of the same medical facts that are identical in content but worded differently in medical documentation). The PDSG also specifies which medical facilities are to be linked to the TI. Preventive and rehabilitation facilities, but also facilities for health care of the Bundeswehr have recently been included. The gematik – Gesellschaft für Telematikanwendungen der eGK – has been set the deadline of 30 June 2021 for coordination, so that various players in the health care system, such as nursing staff, midwives and physiotherapists, can access the secure data network. It is then necessary to create the technical prerequisites and find voluntary insured persons who will make their data available for research purposes. However, Parliament will not be able to start deliberations and hearings on the PDSG before May due to the pandemic spread of the coronavirus.
Source: Aerzteblatt