Physiotherapists are indispensable when it comes to our healthcare. But all too often they have to struggle with incomplete treatment histories and time-consuming consultations with medical practices in their day-to-day work. Such situations will soon be a thing of the past, as the telematics infrastructure (TI) will accelerate and simplify the flow of information.
TI provides access to important digital applications – first and foremost the electronic patient record (EPR), in which treatment details, findings and doctors’ letters are bundled and made available to authorised recipients. Documents such as surgical reports, MRI images and even your own therapy report can be exchanged securely and easily via the KIM (Communication in Medicine) service. Ad-hoc exchange with doctors' surgeries, hospitals and pharmacies will also be possible in future: TIM (TI-Messenger) allows medically relevant information to be exchanged via text message.
The telematics infrastructure and its applications give physiotherapists more time for the essentials. All in the interests of quality of care. So it is worthwhile connecting to the TI using the electronic health professional card (EHPC) and the practice ID card (SMC-B). You can order both cards from D-Trust GmbH, a member of the Bundesdruckerei Group – as can the majority of doctors and pharmacists who are already connected to the TI.
The eHBA gives physiotherapists access to the TI. Using their applications, they can obtain information about all relevant health data on their patients and exchange information with other specialist departments - quickly, securely and conveniently.
The electronic patient record (EPR) is the centrepiece of the telematics infrastructure. Insured persons can get it in the form of a free app upon request from their health insurance provider. In future, physiotherapists will be able to call up all relevant medical information in the EPR. This includes medical results and doctor’s letters. It is also possible for you to store your own documentation and documents. The plan for the future is to add the electronic medication plan (EMP) to the record as well. Access to the EPR requires the patient’s approval. Information is never lost even when a patient switches to a different health insurance provider. Starting at the end of 2024, “EPR for all” will be introduced and automatically made available to all insured persons.
KIM enables secure and direct communication between all participating professional groups in the telematics infrastructure. KIM users can send and exchange doctors’ letters, treatment and cost plans, findings, X-ray images, laboratory data, invoices and sick notes by email in a secure environment.
TIM supplements KIM by providing secure, mobile, ad-hoc communication. Whether it’s queries about prescribed medication, information on laboratory results or call-back requests, TIM will soon enable all healthcare professions throughout Germany to communicate with each other in real time via text message. This will save valuable time on all sides.
The electronic medication plan contains information on the medications used to treat patients and is stored on the health card. All authorised service providers in the telematics infrastructure can quickly view the medication plan at any time. The complete documentation of prescribed medication serves the purpose of drug therapy safety, more specifically in terms of contraindications and medication errors. In future, the EMP is to become part of the electronic patient record (EPR).
Accessing the telematics infrastructure and thus the electronic patient record requires two cards, an electronic health card terminal and a connector. With the electronic health professional card (EHPC), physiotherapists personally identify themselves in the TI as a member of their professional group. The most important component of the EHPC is a qualified electronic signature (QES). It replaces the handwritten signature in the telematics infrastructure. Each one of the various applications in the TI must be signed with the QES when completed. The purpose of the second card, SMC-B, is to identify the accessing practice. The electronic health professions register (EHPR) is responsible for issuing both ID cards. The cards can be ordered from D-Trust once the EHPR has been approved.
To ensure that everyone who is part of the healthcare system can connect to the TI, most of the costs involved are refinanced by the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds. This includes both the costs for the technical equipment (card reader and connector) and the ongoing operating costs for the EHPC and SMC-B.
Physiotherapists receive their electronic health professional card from the newly created electronic health professional register (EHPR). The task of the EHPR is to verify the applicant’s professional licence. This also requires reliable identification of the applicant. Once your professional licence has been confirmed, you will receive a process number from the EHPR for the order.
The EHPC is ordered from D-Trust using its own eHealth portal. After entering the transaction number, you will receive a pre-filled application. All you have to do is complete the application, print it out and send it in. You must also provide valid identification, for example using the PostIdent procedure. Once valid identification and the signed application documents have been submitted, the EHPC can be produced and then, once approved, sent out by the EHPR.
