Push Alerts and Medication Plans Arrive as Germany Ramps Up Electronic Health Record Rollout

Berlin — Germany’s electronic patient record (ePA) is undergoing a busy summer overhaul. New push notifications now alert users whenever a document is accessed, and a digital medication plan goes live in mid-July 2026. These updates come as lawmakers simultaneously broaden workplace doctors’ access to the system — a move that has privacy advocates and medical professionals watching closely.

Since the beginning of July, ePA applications have been rolling out an update that sends real-time notifications to patients when someone views their records. The goal is greater transparency over who sees what data. At the same time, devices running Android 13 were blocked from accessing the ePA apps as of July 1, 2026, cutting off a portion of users until they upgrade.

Occupational Doctors Get Near-Full Access — Unless Patients Opt Out

The biggest headline, however, is the GeDIG law (Gesetz zur Digitalisierung des Gesundheitswesens). Under draft regulations prepared by the federal cabinet in spring 2026, occupational physicians will be able to view essentially all content stored in a worker’s ePA without needing individual, case-by-case consent. The government argues this will better link workplace health checks with general medical documentation, allowing for more precise risk assessments and preventive advice.

Patients retain the right to say no. They can actively object to the access, and if they do, the occupational doctor sees nothing. But without that explicit opt-out, the physician gains full insight into relevant medical history. The ePA in its version 3.0 has been running since October 2025 and became mandatory for statutory insured patients at the start of 2026 — again with an opt-out clause. About 6 percent of insured individuals have opted out so far, suggesting broad acceptance.

Technical Headaches and a Growing Workload Debate

The rollout has not been entirely smooth. Older Android devices are now locked out, and some doctors’ offices are struggling with the new interfaces. Meanwhile, a parallel political squabble is boiling over sick notes.

The coalition committee is planning to abolish telephone-based sick leave certifications and to require a sick note from the first day of illness. The German Association of General Practitioners (Hausärzteverband) warns that this could flood practices with an extra 30 million patient visits annually. Critics inside the coalition, including the labor wing of the CDU, have voiced reservations.

The numbers suggest the impact on absenteeism would be minimal. Currently, only 0.8 to 1.2 percent of all sick notes are issued by phone. Average sick days per insured person hit 22 in 2025 — a high figure, but economists see no causal link to the eased certification rules.

Electronic Medication Plan Arrives; European Framework Tightens

On July 15, 2026, the ePA will start rolling out the electronic medication plan (eMP). It will list all prescribed and over-the-counter medications a patient takes, eventually replacing the paper-based national medication plan.

At the European level, the EHDS regulation (European Health Data Space) has been in force since March 2025, establishing interoperability rules for medical devices. This covers connected gear — such as ECG systems or AI-driven software — that generates health data and must communicate with patient record systems.

A recent report from the AOK PLUS health insurance fund, its 2024/2025 misconduct review, highlighted the need for robust oversight. It found significant financial losses from billing errors, especially in long-term care. Digitally validated data, the insurer argues, could help prevent such abuse in the future.

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