Electronic patient dossier: certification requires more time
The first electronic patient dossier (EPD) will not be offered until the summer and not already in the spring. The reason is the certification of the parent communities, the future providers of the EPD, which is taking more time than planned. By the scheduled launch date of April 15, 2020, at least one of the eight tribal communities should have completed certification and be able to begin operations in the summer. The other trunk communities will follow by the fall.
A large number of players are currently working on the introduction of the electronic patient dossier (EPD). In addition to the decentralized parent communities that will offer the EPD, these include the developers of the technical platforms, the certification bodies, the accreditation body and the providers of electronic identification means.
The establishment of the parent communities and the technical platforms has worked well. However, the certification of the root communities and the subsequent accreditation of the certification bodies are taking longer than originally planned. The certification ensures that the protection of the Patients is ensured and the parent communities meet the strict requirements of the EPD Act. As a result Acute Care Hospitalsrehabilitation clinics and inpatient psychiatric clinics can join a certified parent community.
Program Committee takes note of delay
The federal and cantonal program committee on the EPD has noted that there are delays in this complex project with its decentralized structure. It recognizes that the scope of the certification process could not be accurately estimated at the time of the legislation. However, the Program Committee expects that all residents of Switzerland will be able to open an EPD by the fall of 2020. It is also clarifying whether the parent communities can make the best use of the time until final certification with a test phase. For healthcare in Switzerland, an EPD connection of the hospitals delayed by a few weeks to months will not have any negative consequences.
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