Ensuring the Usability of Electronic Health Records for Research and Healthcare

Previously, the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) and the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Dentists (KZBV) positioned themselves as the sole authority for determining medical information in electronic health records in a recently published "Letter of Intent." The signatory associations emphasize in their position paper that since neither healthcare nor research stops at national borders, there is no alternative to the use of internationally recognized and utilized standards. A look at other federal countries, such as Switzerland or Austria, shows that electronic health records have also been successfully introduced there based on broad expertise from different stakeholders. This coordinated process must be located at a cross-departmental governmental entity. Only in this way can it be ensured that the electronic health record is successfully implemented across sectors and regions.

The electronic health record (EHR), according to § 291a SGB V, is the central tool in tomorrow's patient care. Only with electronic health records is the necessary patient information available to all healthcare providers at the required time across Europe. At the same time, an EHR is the ideal instrument for answering central questions in quality assurance of care, such as drug safety. The EHR also represents an important tool for medical research. Fundamental harmonization work is already taking place within the framework of the Medical Informatics Initiative. For the information from electronic health records to fully unfold its effect, it must include semantically interoperable data that enable structured utilization. This requires a harmonized specification of medical content.

The call is supported by the organizations Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (AWMF), Federal Association of German Pathologists, Bitkom, Federal Association of Healthcare IT - bvitg, BVMed - German Medical Technology Association, Association of Medical Diagnostic Disciplines (DVÄD), German Society of Internal Medicine (DGIM), German Association for Medical Informatics, Biometry, and Epidemiology (GMDS), German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive and Emergency Medicine (DIVI), German Roentgen Society (DRG), HL7 Germany, IHE Germany, SPECTARIS - German Industry Association for Optical, Medical, and Mechatronic Technologies, Top Association IT Standards in Healthcare (SITiG), Technology and Methods Platform for Networked Medical Research (TMF), Association of Diagnostics Industry (VDGH), Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (vfa), and ZVEI - German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers Association.