Major trial of PHRs starts in Germany

Germany’s largest health insurance fund, Barmer, is working with InterComponentWare AG (ICW) on a three year research study looking at the benefits and acceptance of personal health records.

Barmer will use ICW’s web-based LifeSensor technology to offer a personal health record to its seven million members at a cost of 23.80 Euros per individual per year, provided they have a PC with an internet connection.

Using ICW technology, Barmer says the personal health record will meet the highest data protection and data security demands, having received the ips (internet privacy standards) data protection seal of approval for the third time.

Birgit Fischer, Barmer’s deputy chair, said: “We are investigating an instrument that helps to bundle a large volume of scattered health information. In doing so, we will not only eliminate a source of intransparency, but also promote responsible health care among our members.”

The aim of the personal health record is to provide members with a portable ‘personal health memory’ that they can take with them wherever they go and expand.

It is being targeted at families with children, chronically ill patients and travelling senior citizens, who may need to be able to access their data remotely.

Using the LifeSensor technology, data from service providers, such as medical reports or laboratory results, can be transferred by fax or e-mail to the record, or can be uploaded directly.

Fischer added: “This offers new possibilities to physicians, pharmacists, hospitals and all other service providers for targeted patient orientation.”

Peter Reuschel, CEO of ICW added: “Both the record owner as well as authorised persons, for example physicians, can enter content in the patients’ personal health record with their permission and use the health information.”

The research study is being managed by the Cologne care researcher Dr Hanna Kirchner, assisted by a scientific council.

She said: “Previous studies dealt with electronic medical records maintained by physicians. We want to investigate or the first time the benefits of a personal health record that can be maintained by Barmer members online and how this changes their attitude towards their health. Assisting the patients with their personal health management is at the centre of focus here.”

Other features include a reminder service for appointments and preventive medical checkups and a library offering health information.

In the future, the personal health record will be compatible with the German national electronic health card, and will be expanded to import data from Barmer databases or modules for special needs.

Links 

Barmer (German only)

ICW