Digitalisierung

Electronic doctor's letter (eArztBrief): Important information for practices

The eArztBrief enables doctors to exchange important medical information quickly and reliably. This article highlights how the eDoctor's Letter works, the technical requirements, the implementation process and funding measures that support it. Discover how the eArztBrief optimizes healthcare and which challenges must be overcome when setting it up.

17.10.2024
Robert Adam
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At a glance: How does the eArztBrief work?

The electronic doctor's letter allows medical information to be transmitted quickly and securely between doctors.

It is used via the Telematics infrastructure (TI) sent and uses the standardized CDA (Clinical Document Architecture) format to clearly structure diagnoses, therapies and examination results.

The transfer takes place directly from the doctor's practice management system, which must be equipped with a connector, an eHealth card terminal and a secure signature card. These components ensure encrypted and authenticated transmission to ensure the protection of sensitive medical information.

The benefits of the eArztbrief for senders & recipients

The eArztBrief has the following benefits for both senders and recipients:

Benefits for the broadcaster:

  • Time savings: Digital transmission eliminates the need for manual shipping, which significantly speeds up the process.
  • Cost reduction: The elimination of printing, paper and postage costs leads to significant savings.
  • Secure data transfer: The eArztBrief uses encrypted communication channels, which ensures the security of sensitive patient data.
  • Environmental friendliness: The absence of paper helps to reduce the ecological footprint.

Benefits for the recipient:

  • Faster availability: Patient information is available immediately after it is sent, which enables a faster response time.
  • Increased data quality: Digital transmission minimizes transmission errors and ensures that all information is accurate and complete.
  • Better traceability: Electronic documents are often more structured and contain all necessary medical data, which makes traceability and further processing easier.
  • Integration with practice software: The eArztbrief can be integrated into many practice management systems, which optimizes the workflow.
Vorteile für den Sender: Zeitersparnis: Durch die digitale Übermittlung entfällt der manuelle Versand, was den Prozess erheblich beschleunigt.Kostenreduktion: Der Wegfall von Druck-, Papier- und Portokosten führt zu merklichen Einsparungen.Sicherer Datentransfer: Der eArztbrief nutzt verschlüsselte Kommunikationswege, was die Sicherheit der sensiblen Patientendaten gewährleistet.Umweltfreundlichkeit: Der Verzicht auf Papier trägt zur Reduktion des ökologischen Fußabdrucks bei.Vorteile für den Empfänger: Schnellere Verfügbarkeit: Patienteninformationen sind sofort nach dem Versand verfügbar, was eine schnellere Reaktionszeit ermöglicht.Erhöhte Datenqualität: Die digitale Übermittlung minimiert Übertragungsfehler und stellt sicher, dass alle Informationen korrekt und vollständig sind.Bessere Nachvollziehbarkeit: Elektronische Dokumente sind oft strukturierter und enthalten alle notwendigen medizinischen Daten, was die Nachvollziehbarkeit und weitere Bearbeitung erleichtert.Integration in Praxissoftware: Der eArztbrief kann in viele Praxisverwaltungssysteme integriert werden, was den Arbeitsfluss optimiert. 

Brief conclusion: The implementation of the eDoctor's Letter not only reduces administrative costs, but also significantly improves the quality of patient care.

Technical requirements for the eARZTbrief in practice

In order to be able to use the eArztBrief in practice, the following technical requirements are necessary:

1. Connection to the telematics infrastructure (TI): A secure and standardized connection to the telematics infrastructure is necessary. TI is a secure, nationwide healthcare network that connects all players, such as doctors, hospitals, pharmacies and health insurance companies, and enables the secure exchange of medical information.

2nd connector in the latest version: A connector serves as an interface between TI and the IT systems of the doctor's office/hospital and must be installed in the latest version to ensure safety standards and compatibility.

3. KIM service (communication in the medical sector): The KIM service enables the secure exchange of sensitive medical data via encrypted e-mail communication.

4. Practical software and PVS update/eArztBrief modules: The practice software must support the eArztBrief. This may require updates or special modules to ensure functionality.

5. 2nd generation electronic medical professional card (eHBA G2): The qualified electronic signature (QES) of the eDoctor's letter requires an eHBA G2, which confirms the identity of the doctor and thus increases security.

6. Safety measures: The use of encryption technologies and compliance with data protection guidelines, in particular the GDPR, are necessary to ensure data security.

7. Training and Support: All employees should be trained in using the eARZTbrief and the systems used. Technical support must be available to provide quick assistance when issues arise.

How to send and receive an eDoctor's letter

The process of sending and receiving an eDoctor letter consists of several steps, which we will briefly look at together here:

1. Preparation of the eDoctor's Letter: The doctor creates the eDoctor's letter directly in the practice software. In detail, this is pretty similar to a conventional doctor's letter. But relevant information, such as diagnoses, medication, or image files, is added electronically.

2. Electronic signature: The eARZTletter created is signed with a qualified electronic signature (QES). For this purpose, the electronic health professional card (eHBA) used. It is recommended to use the convenient signature, which makes it possible to sign up to 250 documents a day with a one-time PIN entry.

3. Addressing and shipping: The KIM address (medical communication) of the receiving practice is added. If it is not already stored in the address book, it can be found in the central KIM address book (telematics infrastructure directory service). The eArztBrief is sent to the recipient in encrypted form, just like an e-mail.

4. Receipt of the eDoctor's Letter: The receiving doctor or practice decrypts the eARZTbrief, which is integrated directly into the practice management system (PVS). The eDoctor's letter is published in the digital patient records saved by the recipient.

Der Prozess des Versendens und Empfangens eines eArztbriefes besteht aus mehreren Schritten, die wir uns hier kurz gemeinsam anschauen: 1. Erstellung des eArztbriefes: Der Arzt erstellt den eArztbrief direkt in der Praxissoftware. Im Detail ist das ziemlich ähnlich wie bei einem herkömmlichen Arztbrief. Aber relevante Informationen wie Diagnosen, Medikation oder Bilddateien werden elektronisch hinzugefügt.2. Elektronische Signatur: Der erstellte eArztbrief wird mit einer qualifizierten elektronischen Signatur (QES) unterschrieben. Hierfür wird der elektronische Heilberufsausweis (eHBA) verwendet. Es empfiehlt sich die Nutzung der Komfortsignatur, die es ermöglicht, bis zu 250 Dokumente am Tag mit einer einmaligen PIN-Eingabe zu signieren.3. Adressierung und Versand: Die KIM-Adresse (Kommunikation im Medizinwesen) der empfangenden Praxis wird hinzugefügt. Falls diese nicht bereits im Adressbuch gespeichert ist, kann sie im zentralen KIM-Adressbuch (Verzeichnisdienst der Telematikinfrastruktur) gefunden werden. Der eArztbrief wird wie eine E-Mail verschlüsselt an den Empfänger gesendet.4. Empfang des eArztbriefes: Der empfangende Arzt oder die empfangende Praxis entschlüsselt den eArztbrief, der direkt in das Praxisverwaltungssystem (PVS) integriert wird. Der eArztbrief wird in der digitalen Patientenakte des Empfängers gespeichert.

This is how the eARZTbrief is funded & remunerated

The electronic eDoctor Letter is supported by various remuneration measures to promote its use in everyday medical practice. This funding and remuneration is organized by the Federal Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) and the respective associations of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians.

This is what funding can look like: Doctors receive a one-off lump sum for setting up the necessary infrastructure for the first time, including the purchase of hardware and software as well as staff training. Technical equipment such as connectors and card readers is also financially subsidized, not just once.

A few specific examples of this:

For example, a practice with 2 doctors whose initial equipment was provided before 2021 and which has not yet replaced the connector receives a monthly lump sum of 237.78 euros.

For more than 3 doctors, the flat rate is 282.78 euros per month and for more than 6 doctors 323.90 euros per month. If the connector has already been replaced due to expired security certificates and financed by health insurance companies, the lump sum is lower. More information about this can be found here.

In addition, there is a specific remuneration for the eARZTbrief: Practices receive around 0.55 euros per eARZT letter sent and received, depending on the regulations of the respective Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians.

conclusion

The electronic eDoctor's letter revolutionizes medical communication by transmitting patient data quickly and securely. Despite potential implementation challenges, the benefits clearly outweigh them, including improved efficiency and data quality. Comprehensive funding and remuneration measures support the introduction to practices, which leads to optimised patient care. Providers like Nelly are happy to help you digitize your practice. Here you can find our free and non-binding advice. 

Robert Adam

Author

Robert Adam runs SEO & blog marketing for tech startups and SMEs with his agency ClickFound. He is an expert in HealthTech and FinTech.

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