What was it the doctor said about my thyroid gland results?
– Where is my allergy report? –
So when is my next tetanus vaccination due?
Be honest:
do you always manage to keep abreast of all your medical records?
The electronic patient record, or ePA for short,
presents them clearly to make life easier.
The ePA is designed for anyone with statutory health insurance,
who can ask for records to be created
in the German healthcare system’s secure network,
or “telematics infrastructure”.
This is a mandatory service provided by
the statutory health insurance providers.
People with statutory health insurance have 100% control
over what is stored in their ePA and who can view the data.
They can also use the ePA app to see their records any time.
The ePA – what is it and what can it do?
Typically, personal medical data has been stored
in different places in an uncoordinated manner:
X-ray results at the orthopedic department,
blood count at the allergies department
and ECG results at the family doctor’s.
This often meant tests were duplicated,
which was irritating and a waste of time and money.
The electronic patient record puts an end to that:
In the ePA you can add, delete or, most importantly,
gather your lab or test results in one place in digital form.
As the program rolls out you will be able to
upload a range of data and documents to your ePA:
During 2021:
• test results (including lab results)
• diagnoses
• emergency data
• medication plan
• treatment documentation
• and personal documents such as a pain journal.
From 2022 onwards:
• electronic certificate of vaccination
• electronic dental bonus booklet (Zahnbonusheft)
• electronic maternity record
• and the electronic child examination booklet
also known as “U-Heft” or “yellow booklet”.
The security of your personal data
is covered from the start:
• It is up to you alone to decide
whether your doctor can access the documents in your ePA.
• You decide how long they can access them:
a day, a week or several months.
You can now (from January 2021) apply to
your health insurance provider for an ePA.
Use of the ePA is voluntary and free of charge.
You can use the ePA app provided by your health insurance provider in the app stores
to keep an eye on everything to do with your ePA
at any time in one place, so you’re in control.
The ePA app – what is it and what can it do?
In our often hectic daily lives
it’s not so easy to think of everything.
So wouldn’t it be great
if you could have a look at your patient record
anywhere, anytime?
That’s just what the ePA app is designed for.
The ePA is quite simply
your electronic patient record in the form of an app.
You can use the ePA app, for example, to:
• give your doctor permission to view your ePA or parts of it
• upload test results and other documents
such as your blood count.
• give your family doctor
as well as pharmacies and specialist practices or hospitals
permission to upload and view documents.
• view all documents yourself,
• manage them yourself
• and delete them if required.
It’s easy to grant permission:
• Simply go to the “Permissions” section in the app
and search for the practice, pharmacy or hospital.
• Select the practice, pharmacy or hospital you want
and grant permission to access
your personal insurance documents section,
medical documents section or both.
• Log View lets you see
who has added, deleted, downloaded or changed
a document and the time this was done.
• You can find, view and manage any of your own documents
uploaded by doctors or pharmacists
in the “Documents” section.
• You can cancel permissions at any time.
In short:
The electronic patient record and the ePA app
provide a digitized service
for anyone with statutory health insurance.
The ePA helps you to get actively involved
in your own treatment.
But medical practices, pharmacies, hospitals
and the entire health system
benefit from the digital patient record
and the new opportunities it brings:
It avoids unnecessary multiple testing,
saving time and money too.
The ePA gives people with statutory health insurance
rapid access to all their medical documents
so they can provide them to their doctors any time,
which also improves the quality of their treatment.