Electronic health professional card should come

VDD calls in a network of 30 associations the 'big hit' instead of a breakdown card. Because: The non-licensed health professions are not yet involved. To the detriment of the patients.

06/02/2014

The electronic health professional and professional cards in connection with the electronic health card must finally come now - „and then please correctly and also for the non-approved health professionals!“ This is currently being demanded by more than 30 associations of health professionals, health workers and other service providers in the health sector, who have been working together for years in the Advisory Council of the Electronic Health Professionals Register (eGBR Advisory Council).

On this occasion, the associations presented a position paper to Federal Health Minister Hermann Gröhe, in which they called for all health professions to be included in the design and use of the telematics infrastructure.

The spokesman of the eGBR advisory board Arnd Longrée (Chairman of the German Association of Occupational Therapists e.V.) and Marianne Frickel (President of the Federal Association of Hearing Aid Acousticians) therefore call on the legislature, as soon as possible the necessary changes § 291a SGB V. Only in this way - in the interests of the best possible patient care - can health professionals and health professionals participate in the development and use of the telematics infrastructure without any competitive disadvantage.

In the discussion on the electronic health card and the associated telematics infrastructure (TI), important areas of the healthcare system (eg medical and auxiliary care, rehabilitation and outpatient and inpatient care) have been largely ignored. Patients are also often on their own if they are looking for existential treatment-relevant information in the field of non-medical therapy and care. Adequate care is currently often left to chance, which has a significant impact on patients' quality of life and the cost-effectiveness of care. The introduction of the TI could fundamentally change that.

The associations agree that the permanent moratorium on the electronic prescription should not be used as an excuse to exclude non-approved health professionals from using the TI. Without the involvement of these more than 2 million affected professionals, the individual patient or insured person will not have the chance to receive an effective care or rehabilitation tailored to their individual needs. The telematics infrastructure without integration of all service providers would thus be a "toothless tiger", which would not exhaust its possibilities and would be ineffective.

The VDD says: The benefits of the TI and the electronic health professional card or card of attorney for patient care are too great for this prestigious health project to become a plaything for the vanities of professional organizations. (Pm)