Hospital.Help

Mainz The telematics infrastructure (TI) must be permanently stable, high-performance and, above all, fail-safe, available and functional, even and especially at peak times. Sibylle Steiner, board member of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), called for this today.

Anyone who dreams of beneficial artificial intelligence (AI) should first get the TI up and running, Steiner addressed Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD).

Although AI algorithms and decision support could certainly bring benefits to outpatient care in the future, at the same time the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) urgently needs to seriously consider concrete solutions to the concerns and problems in everyday care.

At the moment, the practices, the statutory health insurance associations (KVs) and everyone in the joint self-administration constantly have to create workarounds in order to make the legal requirements for digitalization even viable.

The success of the restart of the electronic patient record (ePA), which in principle needs to be justified, also depends on the TI running smoothly. In addition, the practice management systems (PVS) must enable the use of the ePA to be quick, easy, easy to use and stable, says Steiner.

If the BMG were to introduce a non-functional, inadequately tested and massively flawed ePA across the board at the beginning of 2025, there would be a risk of a massive disruption in supply and renewed additional burdens on practices. This must be avoided.

On the subject of practice management systems, Steiner emphasized that practices need more reliability and commitment in terms of performance and functionality. To do this, the legislature must quickly authorize the Competence Center for Interoperability with clear guidelines, guarantee the KBV the right to make proposals and ensure that the Competence Center begins this important work promptly.

In addition, practices should not become a scapegoat if their respective PVS providers do not meet the necessary requirements. Sanctions and threats of fines that are directed against the practices in this context are completely unacceptable.

Federal Health Minister Lauterbach must wake up from his digital dreams and give priority to the harsh reality of a completely inadequate digital infrastructure in practices, warned Steiner. © aha/aerzteblatt.de