Healthy Skepticism Library item: 7856

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Tuffs A.
German doctors threaten to boycott patient record project
BMJ 2007 Jan 13; 334:(7584):63
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/334/7584/63

Abstract:

The introduction of electronic health record cards in Germany has finally started, but doctors are threatening to boycott Germany’s largest information technology project unless the financial terms are renegotiated.

A new expert report on the costs of the project has led to fears among doctors that they will have to contribute far more than the estimated 1500 (£1010; $1950) for each practice for new computer software and hardware.

The health ministry says that it will cost about 1.6bn overall. But expert advice by the technology consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, made publicly available by German hackers Chaos Computer Club, calculated costs of at least several billion euros.

The new system has been tested in two regions in north and east Germany since December 2006. The project aims to improve communication throughout all sectors of German health care, which comprises 82 million patients, 123 000 GPs, 2200 hospitals, 65 000 dentists, . . .