Telemedicine: Bahr and Rösler argue for „more IT“ – Benefit catalogue in 2013

Federal Minister of Economics Philipp Rösler and Health Minister Daniel Bahr have emphasized the growing importance of electronic means for the actual medical care situation at the start of 3. Gesundheitswirtschaftskonferenz (conference of the healthcare industry) in Berlin. „Medical care in the future implies complete territorial coverage with the help of digitally connected specialists from metropolitan areas“, Bahr said.

He instanced family doctors in the countryside connecting with specialists in the city in order to exchange know-how. Chronically ill patients could benefit as well. With the help of specific apps they would be able to monitor their respective medical condition to some extent. That would promote compliance as well as self-determination of patients.

The minister announced that the German Joint Government Committee is supposed to present a benefit catalogue for telemedicine in March of 2013. This task is part of the Law on Medical Care Structure.

Comment: Implementation of telemedicine is one of the biggest challenges for the German healthcare system. Implementation of the electronic health card has already shown what can go wrong. The bumpy realization reflects a fundamental problem: Telemedicine’s desire for an information density as as high as possible with regards to patient data faces the patient’s desire for self-determination regarding personal data.

Alongside this field of tension remains the unresolved issue of financing. As long as telemedical apps do not appear in the coverage catalog of the statutory health insurances telemedicine will remain a colorful mixture of flagship projects.

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