Impetus from Bavaria for the new government

The CSU politician and former Bavarian Digital Minister gave her colleagues from the Bundestag a piece of advice: forget the practice, forget the people and don't forget security.

Judith Gerlach unceremoniously threw out the speech she had prepared. Instead, she devoted her keynote address at DMEA to the coalition agreement, or more precisely to the part that deals with healthcare. It contains important decisions for the future and is the basis for change. The lawyer had highlighted in color all the passages dealing with digitalization. One must consider the practice.

As the Bavarian Minister of State for Health, Care and Prevention, Judith Gerlach has experienced first-hand in nursing homes how vital data was transferred from paper to computer due to a lack of Wi-Fi connection. Here, she said, we have to start with the basics and introduce a comprehensive telematics infrastructure. Digital solutions must be based on practical needs. They must really help people and offer solutions that, for example, fit in with care. This starts with 100% Wi-Fi coverage in healthcare facilities.

Networking is important to put digital solutions into practice. Lighthouse projects must be rolled out on a broad scale. To do this, skills must be pooled and people networked. Coming from a rural area, Judith Gerlach is familiar with the shortage of personnel in the countryside. Here, video consultations could be part of the solution, for which there must be an uncomplicated reimbursement. An example from Bavaria for the digital control of patients is the “virtual children's clinic”: the tool indicates which hospital has a vacancy where the sick child can be adequately treated.

Taking people with you

Judith Gerlach finds the decline in health literacy among the population alarming. Since more and more people are finding it difficult to find their way around the healthcare system, the primary care physician system needs to be expanded and supported by digital tools. The systems could, for example, provide an initial assessment. This would give people peace of mind. With good digitalization projects like the electronic patient record, people need to be taken along with it, for example, through brochures in the practices that explain the advantages.

Finally, the issue of security is also important to Judith Gerlach. She says that crisis-proof care must be guaranteed. Germany should play an even greater role at the EU level and spend money on the security of digital systems. After all, digitization can only be as good as its security.