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Aargau is the first canton to introduce electronic patient files. Healthcare costs are supposed to go down, but there are also doubts.
Eight months later than planned, the first electronic medical record was opened in Switzerland. Canton Aargau won the race and on Friday, health director Jean-Pierre Gallati was the first to open his own electronic patient record, or EPD for short. This is expected to start a new era.
All medical data of a patient must be stored in the electronic record of the patient: diseases, medications, allergies, vaccines, images and reports of treatments and therapies. The various health institutions such as hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, nursing homes or pharmacies must be able to access it with the consent of the patient. Opening an electronic medical record is voluntary.
The population of Aargau will now be the first in Switzerland to have the opportunity to open their own EPD from the beginning of 2021. The aim is for the electronic patient record to be implemented in all Aargau acute hospitals, rehabilitation clinics and psychiatric centers. by the end of March 2021. In the next step, nursing institutions, doctors’ offices and pharmacies will be presented to the project.
EPD can lead to improvements in treatment.
“EPD makes a significant contribution to further increasing the efficiency and profitability of the healthcare system,” Aargau Health Director Jean-Pierre Gallati said in a press release. Also, EPD could lead to improvements in treatment.
Are the family doctors from Aargau on board?
The electronic patient record is particularly useful if as many service providers as possible in the health care system work with it. While inpatient facilities have to participate, this is optional for outpatient providers. But: Ironically, the Aargau Medical Association doubts the benefit. “Electronic patient record costs a lot of money, you have to first show me that it also has advantages,” says President Jürg Lareida.
It costs a lot and at the moment it only takes effort.
The effort is great, the instrument is not practical. “This does not prevent duplication, because it is often desired because hospitals want to verify the findings, for example.” However, Lareida wants to participate in the EPD. “We have to develop it further and make sure it doesn’t get too bad.”
The rest of Switzerland is lagging behind
To enter the electronic medical records of patients in accordance with the law, hospitals form groups, the so-called central communities. Other health care facilities are added later. The Aargauer Group was the first to receive a green light from the authorities; another eight groups are currently in process.
This also applies to the largest group, the Axsana community. It has 14 cantons. Managing Director Samuel Eglin would like to start a pilot test in February. “We are starting with some health facilities, specifically with a nursing home and five hospitals that are spread over different regions of German-speaking Switzerland.”
All hospitals in Switzerland should have introduced electronic patient registration by spring 2020. But already a year ago it became clear that the certification process is more complex than expected and that a timely start will therefore be impossible. It remains to be seen when the EPD will be available in all parts of Switzerland.