At the virtual conference of the digital association Bitkom, Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn expressed his satisfaction with the progress in digitization, which in his opinion has made decisive progress in the last two years, although according to a McKinsey report the German healthcare system is still in its infancy. He can hardly wait for the introduction of the electronic patient file (ePA), which would make „the difference“ according to Spahn. But other digitization measures – technical and regulatory – are also making good progress. The corona pandemic has accelerated digitization, which ultimately benefits pharmaceutical research in the search for a suitable vaccine, but also other achievements in the digitization process, by which he means the expansion of video consultation hours and other telemedical care areas. But Spahn also includes the Public Health Service (ÖGD), which includes health administration facilities at federal, state and local level. The German healthcare system is in the „digital fast lane“, which is urgently needed in view of the existing backlog demand. It is also important to avoid dependencies on other groups interested in data, explained Spahn at the virtual meeting. It is therefore essential that data protection and data security requirements are implemented uniformly in the European Union. Implementations of this kind have been in evidence since July 1, 2020, according to the Minister. They must also be continued in the new year, when the presidency of the Council of the European Union, the so-called EU Council Presidency, rotates (Germany’s turn for the 13th time), in order to avoid competitive disadvantages for the healthcare industry, also in the future.
