Secure Networking is the Key to German Public e-Health Solution: Migration Towards an Integrated e-Health Infrastructure

Abstract

All around the world headlines warn about the exploding costs of healthcare as advanced medicines and technology are boosting life expectancy. Something needs to be done to contain these costs. An efficient and economic solution demands an electronic healthcare card system based on an integrated communication network which has been designed in Germany to help reduce costs.

This system has been designed to meet the requirements of the healthcare modernization legislation passed by German Parliament in 2003. Its deployment is among other reasons challenged by networks and applications already in use by e-health professionals. These parallel infrastructures have been setup over the past years and already enable e.g. physicians to exchange information online and optimise their processes by accessing a centralised infrastructure. But these systems do not provide the level of interoperability required. Thus limiting use to regional groups only. This leads in consequence to different sectoral but not interoperable networks.

This paper will discuss the success factors for a secure, flexible and interoperable e-health infrastructure solution capable of integrating existing applications and services. It will outline that only an integrated ehealth infrastructure can enforce data privacy protection at multiple levels as legally required.