Topics

Our team of twelve experienced experts from all areas of health care is often described as “truffle hogs” or “idea magnets”. We identify the most promising ideas and use our expertise to make them better. We are a sparring partner and provide implementation support for stakeholders and innovators who are using digitisation to create value in health care.

We are guided by one goal: to improve health care with well-considered, process-supporting use of digital tools.

Our main topics:

Electronic Health Records (EHR)

The introduction of the ePA (EHR) on January 1, 2021 is a forward-looking milestone. Doctors can observe all relevant health data at a glance, allowing them to focus their time on patients and treatment, rather than digging through incomplete paper files. Patients can view their health status at any time and have all important documents at hand. We promote the exchange of information between the players and help to implement this important project.

Interoperability & Data Formats

International standards still receive too little attention in Germany during the implementation of national e-health projects. Medicine – both care provision and research – needs such standards for common structures and a common international language. It is a matter of implementing the content specifications technically in such a way that these requirements are met, rendering information exchange reliable, unambiguous, and reusable in an international context.

Digital Applications & Fast Track

Digital applications are a useful supplement to existing diagnostic tools and therapies; for example, they can bridge waiting time until a doctor’s visit or continuously monitor health data. As such, they can reduce the burden placed on patients, doctors, and relatives and facilitate better health care for everyone.

With the Digital Care Act (DVG), doctors will soon be able to prescribe beneficial, low-risk digital applications in regular care. We educate start-ups as well as established players about these changes and support their implementation.

AI Applications

In Germany, the application of statistical and complex analyses of health data is still in its infancy. AI can help to relieve the physician from the burden of routine tasks and create more time for discussing medicine. Empathy and many years of human experience cannot be replaced by AI. We want to facilitate improvement of general conditions so that treating physicians have more time – and can minimize the time spent on documentation and routine activities.

Data donation

Massive amounts of data are generated every day in the German healthcare system – so far largely unused. However, enormous amounts of data are precisely the prerequisites for such activities as developing valid predictive models. This is one of the reasons why we want to initiate and support socio-political discourse about the pros and cons of data donation.

Evaluation of Digital Applications

What is the use case for a digital application? How do you measure its impact? And at what point is the benefit high enough that the application belongs in standard care?

With digitisation, many new questions arise. Yet it is important that only those applications that create demonstrable added value are included in standard care. Research on this is still in its infancy in Germany. We want to learn from smart peer countries and promote the exchange of knowledge in Germany.

E-prescription

After numerous pilots by various vendors, gematik’s “official” e-prescription will be introduced in July 2021 with obligatory participation as of 2022, (finally) laying the foundation for greater prescription drug safety. In the process, network opportunities will be created. Electronic prescriptions, medicines, and patient records will be brought together, therapies individualized and tailored. With access to better databases, healthcare professionals will be able to check drug compatibility.