data protection expert
Kelber: Doubts about the plan for electronic patient files
Ulrich Kelber (SPD), Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, criticizes that many questions about the electronic patient file have still not been answered. photo
© Wolfgang Kumm/dpa
Not even one percent of the 74 million people with statutory health insurance currently have an e-file. The government is aiming for a target of 80 percent. From Kelber’s point of view, however, there are still too many unanswered questions.
The data protection officer of the federal government Ulrich Kelber has doubts about the planned objection solution for the electronic patient file. Many questions have not yet been answered, so he is skeptical, said Kelber in an interview with Deutschlandfunk. The contradiction solution also conveys distrust towards patients. “According to the motto, you haven’t used it well enough so far, now I have to force you to be happy,” criticized Kelber. The electronic patient file in its current form is of little use.
The e-file has been available since 2021, so far on a voluntary basis. It is a personal data store, for example for findings, X-rays and lists of medications taken. The bundled information should, among other things, avoid interactions and unnecessary multiple examinations.
Currently, however, not even one percent of the 74 million people with statutory health insurance have such an e-file. The government is aiming for a target of 80 percent. The health insurance companies should automatically set up an e-file for all those with statutory health insurance by January 15, 2025 – unless the patients actively object.
Kelber criticized many open questions. So it is unclear who feeds in certain data and how they can possibly be blocked. It is also unclear whether data from psychotherapeutic treatment should be included and what opportunities patients would have to quickly look at their data. “I think you could have increased the performance of this system first,” said Kelber.