Despite new obligations for doctor's offices and clinics, only 3.6 percent of statutory insured use the electronic patient record actively. A survey by the RedaktionsNetzwerks Deutschland among major health insurers shows a slight increase since July 2025. Hopes for stronger usage through automatic filling of the records have not been fulfilled.
The electronic patient record (ePA) is intended to make patients' health data centrally and digitally accessible. Since early 2025, statutory health insurers have automatically created ePAs for about 70 million of the roughly 75 million insured, unless they opted out. From October 1, 2025, doctor's offices and clinics are required to enter relevant treatment data such as lab and imaging results, doctor's letters, discharge reports, or surgery protocols into the record. This data is then available to all treating physicians.
A survey by the RedaktionsNetzwerks Deutschland (RND) among several major health insurers, which together cover more than half the market, found that the proportion of active users – measured against the number of created ePAs – has risen by only one percentage point to 3.6 percent since July 2025. Active users view their data, upload older documents, or restrict doctors' access.
At the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), the largest insurer with around 11.5 million ePAs, about 850,000 insured are currently active, an increase of 100,000 since July. Barmer reports eight million created ePAs and 440,000 active users, up 190,000. The eleven Allgemeine Ortskrankenkassen (AOK) with 26 million ePAs have 365,000 insured with a personal health ID, 165,000 more than in summer 2025.
Insured can log in via their insurer's app to protect sensitive data such as HIV infections, abortions, or mental illnesses or to check billing. The low usage indicates that the traffic light coalition's reform has not yet led to the expected acceptance.
