Minister of Health Manne Lucha, along with representatives from the Health Forum Baden-Württemberg, discussed the opportunities and challenges of using digital data in the healthcare sector with members of the German Bundestag in Berlin. They unanimously advocated for increased speed in the digitalization of medicine and nursing. The event was held at the Baden-Württemberg state representation in Berlin and was organized in anticipation of the German Federal Council’s consideration of the government’s draft laws on the Digital Act and the Health Data Utilization Act next week.
During the event, Minister Lucha emphasized Germany’s significant need to catch up in terms of digitalizing the healthcare sector and making healthcare data available for research purposes. Surveys have shown that people in the country clearly support more digitalization in areas such as electronic prescriptions and electronic patient records. Minister Lucha welcomed the fact that the Health Data Utilization Act and the Digital Act incorporate important demands from Baden-Württemberg, such as improving access to healthcare data for the benefit of the general public, including academia and industry.
The Health Forum Baden-Württemberg has also been addressing these issues for several years. What sets the Health Forum apart is its interdisciplinary approach and continuous feedback from practical experiences, which allows them to work on issues that are relevant to the state as a healthcare hub.
Minister Lucha added that the focus should be on creating a digital and research landscape for the healthcare sector that takes all aspects, including artificial intelligence, into account. He emphasized the importance of avoiding a fragmented landscape of digital agencies and individual regulations. The electronic patient record, as a central point of care, must function effectively and be user-friendly and easy to access. The same applies to the processes that will grant access to healthcare data in the future. People need support and guidance in using electronic patient records, which necessitates projects aimed at promoting digital literacy.
The representatives from the Health Forum Baden-Württemberg who participated in the Berlin event were Professor Dr. Mark Dominik Alscher from Bosch Health Campus GmbH, Professor Dr. Dr. Melanie Börries from the University Medical Center Freiburg, and Dr. Fridtjof Traulsen from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG. They traveled to Berlin to shed light on the significance of healthcare data utilization from the perspectives of healthcare provision, academia, and industry.
In summary, Minister Lucha and the representatives from the Health Forum Baden-Württemberg called for accelerated digitalization in the healthcare sector. They emphasized the need for a comprehensive digital and research landscape that includes aspects such as artificial intelligence. The electronic patient record should function seamlessly, be user-friendly, and be easily accessible. Furthermore, they stressed the importance of guiding and supporting people in using electronic patient records by promoting digital literacy.
