The National Council’s Social Security and Health Committee has essentially followed the Federal Council and Council of States’ proposal for the ePatient Dossier Act.
According to a press release dated February 20, 2015, all service providers, including outpatient doctors, will now be obliged to keep electronic patient files.
IG eHealth welcomes this step in principle, but is aware of the strong resistance from doctors.
The FMH has already announced its concerns in a press release dated February 20, 2015.
It fears that too much data will be generated and that patients could also be obliged to keep an eDossier.
The good news is that these concerns can be easily resolved at ordinance level.
To mitigate these concerns, the Commission has opted for a long transitional period of ten years for outpatient service providers.
eDossiers create the conditions for service providers to work together across institutional and cantonal boundaries.
Coordinated care in turn increases the quality of treatment.
If the focus is on promoting the quality of treatment, then a mandatory requirement for all service providers makes sense.
One thing is clear: the use of eDossiers should remain voluntary for patients.
Doctors can also work together with other healthcare professionals in a lege artis manner if patients wish to do without eDossiers.