'Breaking the dam': German family doctors oppose insurer access to e-health records
A draft law would let German health insurers analyze electronic patient record data with consent, for example to spot cancer or long-term care risks. Family doctors say it threatens patient trust.
Graphic: TERRA WORLD NEWS (own graphic based on the sources listed)
Germany's association of family doctors is pushing back against plans to give health insurers access to patients' electronic health records. "That would be breaking the dam and would further weaken people's trust in the digitalization of health care," co-chair Markus Blumenthal-Beier told Der Spiegel. There can be no room for negotiation on trust between doctor and patient, he said.
The dispute centers on a bill on health data and digital innovation now before the Bundestag. It would allow insurers to process record data if patients consent, for example to identify rare diseases, cancer, severe cardiovascular conditions or an impending need for long-term care, and to check whether a vaccination recommended by the STIKO vaccine panel is indicated.
Blumenthal-Beier said he doubts the required consent would be obtained transparently and called for patients to be clearly informed of the consequences of their decision.