ELGA is being massively expanded
A personalized patient summary and a digital medication plan are also in preparation. The ELGA portal is set to be renewed, and an ELGA app is finally expected to be launched.
ELGA GmbH (owned by the federal government, states, and social insurance) presented its plans to journalists, for which most of the legal foundations were established under the green health minister Johannes Rauch. The current ÖVP-SPÖ-NEOS federal government is committed to expanding the electronic record and has included this project in its government program, along with a recodification of the underlying and somewhat outdated Health Telematics Act.
Overview of Health Data
Currently, several projects are underway, such as the digital medication plan called "DigiMed," which aims to provide a more accurate overview of a patient's actual medication, including dosage and intake times. This will also form the basis for the future "Patient Summary," a summary of a person's most important health data at a glance. Already in rollout are the e-image data, which will provide citizens with interactive access and download options for their X-ray images, for example, starting in fall 2025.
Work is also being done on "Integrated Care," which means that people with chronic illnesses should be continuously cared for, regardless of the level of care the responsible parties work at and how the funding streams run. ELGA is intended to provide connections here to avoid gaps in care. The focus will start with diabetes and heart failure. Another key point is the electronic diagnosis documentation, which private doctors will no longer be able to avoid from 2026 - also a prerequisite for the "Patient Summary."
Apps for ELGA, Care, and Vaccinations
Additionally, mobile care services are to be connected, including documentation and the connection to specific care apps, which is also included in the turquoise-red-pink government program. Work is also underway - for 2026 - on the relaunch of the ELGA portal https://www.elga.gv.at, which in its basic concept still recalls pre-smartphone times. The technical basis for an ELGA app is also to be created. The electronic vaccination pass is also to receive an app. Finally, work is also being done on connecting to the European Health Data Space (EHDS), and a secure directed communication platform for healthcare facilities based on the open-source protocol "Matrix" is to be established - as a replacement for long obsolete fax transmissions.
(APA/Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.