IKK Südwest welcomes plans for the digitalization strategy

14.03.2023 13:22

The Federal Ministry of Health presented its digitalization strategy on March 9, 2023 under the title “Modern medicine needs digital help”. IKK Südwest sees this as an important step towards better and sustainable healthcare for people in Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland.

Daniel Schilling, board member of IKK Südwest, on the digitalization projects presented by the Federal Ministry of Health:
“We expressly welcome the Federal Health Minister’s proposed legislation with the Digital Act and the plans for the Health Data Use Act (GDNG). Setting the goal of increasing the use of the electronic patient record (ePA), as the heart of this strategy, to up to 80 percent in the next two years is correct, but ambitious - especially in view of the weak user numbers nationwide also confirmed by those insured by IKK Südwest in Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland: Less than one percent currently use the ePA. The opt-out procedure can counteract this development, but on its own it is only the beginning: the best digitalization strategy will only be fully beneficial for insured people if it is implemented in everyday life by all players in the healthcare system. Everyone involved must therefore now promote acceptance even more strongly. This can only be successful if the ePA and other digital applications become even more straightforward.”