The EPA comes: Revolution in healthcare or data risk?

The EPA comes: Revolution in healthcare or data risk?

From April 29, 2025, the electronic patient file (EPA) in Germany will be available to all legally insured citizens. This was announced in a lecture at the VdK in Bad Nauheim, where about 50 listeners learned more about the functions and advantages of the EPA. The speaker was Vivienne Mekhtoum from the Competence Center for Telemedicine and E-Health Hessen, which was accompanied by Managing Director Armin Häuser.

The main goal of the EPA is to improve data availability in order to avoid double treatments and prevent undesirable interactions in drugs. From October 2025, all medical practices, clinics and pharmacies are obliged to participate in this system. For patients with statutory health insurance, you will automatically receive an EPA from your health insurance company, unless you are actively contradictory.

functionality of the EPA and its advantages

The electronic patient file starts empty, that is, the data is available from the time of use. Earlier findings must be added manually by the patients. Access to the EPA is via an app that can be downloaded to smartphones. Patients have the opportunity to digitize their medical documents and insert them into the EPA. Therapeutic facilities such as doctors and physiotherapists can also post documents in the EPA if the patient does not object.

One of the present, a 63-year-old listener, sees the EPA a clear advantage, since she no longer has to bring physical documents to visits to the doctor. This digital file could significantly reduce the administrative effort and improve communication between the treating doctors.

concerns and recommendations from experts

However, not all opinions are consistently positive. Internist Dr. In the event, Lutz Ehnert expressed concerns about the time and costs for the practices. He also doubts the safety of the stored data. Ehnert recommends that patients initially refrain from using the EPA until the safety of the system is guaranteed. Despite the highly applied safety precautions, there are still concerns about possible weaknesses. Although security gaps have been identified, the gematics and the BSI assure that measures are taken to improve protection.

The use of the EPA is generally voluntary, and patients can object at any time to their health insurance company. Insured persons who do not have digital access can use the EPA passively, but have to expect restricted options.

Various resources are available for further information on the EPA. Detailed information can be found on the websites eHealth-zentrum.de and Consumerzentral.de .