The Introduction of Health Telematics in Germany

Abstract

By enacting a law to modernize the statutory health insurance¹ the German government initiated a huge infrastructural telematics project: the introduction of a national electronic Health (eHealth) Card (in Germany it is known as the eGK). This microprocessor-based chipcard is an important element in the currently built infrastructure. Literally the card is the key to a health system data highway and to the applications already planned and waiting to be discovered. The primary intention of the German legislative authority is to enhance efficiency, quality and transparency of medical care. The solution is a patient based sector-spanning network with persistent information flow. The 15 top organizations of the national German health system undertook the difficult task to introduce the required infrastructure and therefore founded gematik — Gesellschaft für Telematikanwendungen der Gesundheitskarte mbH² in 2005.

1

Gesetz zur Modernisierung der gesetzlichen Krankenversicherung (GKV-Modernisierungsgesetz), § 291 SGB V — Krankenversichertenkarte

2

§ 291 b SGB V — Gesellschaft für Telematik