Government prepares law on e-consults, e-data warehouse and abbreviated health card

The draft law on amending certain laws in connection with the development of e-health services is intended to create a legal framework for the next digital tools in health care, after e-prescriptions, e-referrals and the Internet Patient Account. The purpose of the proposed solutions is to ensure a more efficient and effective functioning of the health care system and to increase the availability of medical data for patients and medical staff.

New e-health systems and tools

One of the key elements of the project is the expansion of the e-health system with new ICT solutions. The bill provides for the creation of an e-Consilium System, which will enable remote medical consultations between specialists. The system is to allow both scheduled consiliums and ad hoc consultations to be organized, including on a 24-hour basis - for example, during a patient's visit to the POZ or during hospitalization.

At the same time, the draft envisages regulating the Medical Home Care System, which will enable remote monitoring of the health of patients, especially chronically ill patients and those at risk. Regular transmission of medical data to doctors is expected to allow earlier detection of health problems and reduce the risk of complications.

Abbreviated patient health card and cross-border care

An important novelty will be the introduction of an abbreviated patient health record - a new type of electronic medical record, system-generated within the P1 System. The document is expected to contain key information about the patient's health, such as chronic diseases, allergies, past procedures or implanted medical devices.

The abbreviated patient health card is to play a special role in cross-border healthcare. The bill strengthens the e-Health Center as the National Contact Point for Cross-Border Healthcare, responsible for the technical handling of data exchange - in addition to the cross-border e-prescription already in place. This solution is part of the construction of the European Health Data Space.

More data for doctors, more control for patients

The bill also provides for modification of the rules of access to medical data. Doctors, as part of the coordination of health care, are to be given greater access to patients' health data, particularly in situations of continuing treatment or implementing complex therapeutic processes. The expanded catalog of entities authorized to access the data will also include auxiliaries involved in the process of providing services.

At the same time, patients will gain the ability to self-enter health data into the health care information system, including data from devices that monitor health parameters, physical activity or lifestyle. The data will be marked as having been provided by the patient, and the decision to use it in the diagnostic process will remain with the doctor.

Simplifying the digitization of medical records

The draft further simplifies the process of digitizing medical records. Instead of individual electronic signatures of employees, it will be possible to use an electronic seal of the treatment entity, which is expected to significantly reduce costs and organizational barriers. In addition, the e-Health Center is to offer a free IT tool for digitizing documentation, which is expected to encourage treatment entities to move more widely to electronic documentation.

Data analysis and health policy planning

Another component of the project is the creation of an e-Health Data Warehouse, which will enable analysis of data collected in medical information systems and identification of population health needs. The data is to be pseudonymized to ensure patient privacy while using the information for analytical and planning purposes.

Source: RCL