Services User advice
Content
This page explains the features and user applications found on this website. There are various ways to navigate between the portal pages, such as using the search function or the main navigation. The gesund.bund portal is intended as an information service. It is designed to help people find reliable information about health matters.
In addition, several user functions such as “Bookmark” or the user settings under “Display Format” can help you better tailor the information on the portal to your needs.
Many of these practical functions use cookies. If you have disabled cookies, they can be customized in the privacy policy.
Search
A search field can be found on the homepage and in the header area of every page.
Enter one or more search terms in the search box provided (e.g. at the top right edge of the web page). The hits will be displayed in a separate results view.
The search results are based on the content provided on gesund.bund.de.
A maximum of 10 results are displayed on the first page. You can access further results by clicking the page numbers at the bottom of the list. These show the number of pages of search results available.
If you do not get any hits for your search query, this may mean that there is not yet any content on the topic you are looking for. New content is being added all the time. You should also check your search query for typos as these can also prevent hits from being shown.
ICD and OPS code search
Do you want to understand the meaning of an ICD or OPS code in a medical document? Then enter it in the ICD and OPS code search function. You can also use any other search field on the portal to query an ICD or OPS code.
The results page suggests articles related to the ICD or OPS code. Even if no article is yet available for the code you entered, the medical term for the corresponding diagnosis or procedure is displayed.
Information about the corresponding ICD codes can be found in the articles about medical conditions. Some articles about conditions may contain multiple ICD codes as the description of a clinical picture can potentially apply to several related conditions expressed by different ICD codes.
Bookmark function and Bookmark list
To use this function, the “Preferences” cookie must be enabled in the privacy policy.
The “Bookmark” function can be found in the health information provided by gesund.bund.de. The button for bookmarking an article is located directly below the article header. To remove the open article from the bookmark list, the button can be clicked a second time.
The list of all “bookmarked” article pages can be accessed via the navigation point “Bookmark list” in the page header.
The saved articles can also be individually deleted from this same place.
Display format
Font size
To use this function, the relevant cookie must be enabled in the privacy policy.
You can adjust the font size in the meta navigation on the Display format page.
Many people prefer a larger font as they find it easier to read. You can select the setting “Large font” under “Font size”. The text is then displayed in a larger format on all pages of the portal. The setting can be reverted to “Standard” at any time.
You can also use your browser to change the font size on our website. We recommend viewing this website in an up-to-date browser version.
To enlarge the view, press and hold the “Ctrl” button while also pressing the “+” button several times. To shrink the view, press and hold the “Ctrl” button while also pressing the “-” button several times until you achieve the desired size. The view can usually also be adjusted in the “Settings” menu of the relevant browser.
Color scheme
To use this function, the relevant cookie must be enabled in the privacy policy.
The Display format page can be used to set the color scheme for the entire website to “dark mode”.
The legibility and perception of websites differ from one user to the next. For many, image and text content in dark font on a light background look very clear. However, images on a dark background place less strain on tired or sensitive eyes. In “dark mode”, content is therefore displayed in a light font color on a dark background.
Accessibility
The Federal Ministry of Health is committed to making the website gesund.bund.de accessible to all. The legal bases for this are the current versions of the German Disabled Persons Equality Act (BGG) and the Regulation on Accessible Information Technology (BITV 2.0).
For more information, see our accessibility statement. If, when visiting the portal, you notice any accessibility barriers that are not listed on this page, please do not hesitate to report them using our feedback form.
Read out loud function
To use this function, the “Preferences” cookie must be enabled in the privacy policy.
You can have content on the article pages read out loud in an artificial voice with the aid of ReadSpeaker webReader. With a click, the text on a page is simultaneously read out loud and highlighted so that you can easily follow it – regardless of where you are and what end device you are using. This makes content more accessible and visiting the website an interactive experience. You do not need to download anything to use this function.
The audio player is integrated into most article pages. You can activate or pause the “Read out loud” function by clicking the Play button directly below the heading.
The ReadSpeaker webReader also offers the following functions:
- Have a text read out in a pop-up window by selecting the text and clicking Play.
- Download an audio version of the selected texts. This enables you to listen to the texts even when offline.
- Translation AI can be used to translate the selected texts into other languages and read them out.
- Adjust the reading speed, the text highlighting colors and other settings in line with your personal preferences.
- Look up the meaning of individual words in the dictionary. Double-clicking a word in the text opens the relevant dictionary entry.
- The help tool can be found in the menu. This provides instructions on how to use each of the webReader functions. The menu can be displayed using the wheel in the toolbar displayed when the audio player is active.
Videos
Videos that provide brief information in the form of animated films are embedded into many articles. The fully accessible HTML player from Aktion Mensch is used for the videos and subtitles can be displayed on all videos. Subtitles in the displayed language are available for most language versions of the articles.
Topic specials and scrollytelling format
Web technologies that enable animated images to be played as you scroll down a page are used for topic specials like the page on the e-prescription.
An up-to-date browser version is required to use these technologies without issue.
Print function
Please use your browser’s print function to print page content. You can access this by using the shortcut Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac).