ePA: Statement by the Federal Government and linqi as the link between political objectives and day-to-day healthcare provision

What is the current status of the ePA?

A statement from the Federal Government paints a clear picture of the current status of the ePA: the direction has been set, many measures are underway, but standards, interfaces and processes are, in some cases, progressing only slowly. Hospitals, clinics and medical practices cannot afford to wait – operations must run smoothly even when the framework conditions are not yet ideal. A solution is needed.

The latest survey by the KBV (National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians) of around 4,500 doctor’s offices has reached similar conclusions. The survey confirms that the ePA is already in widespread and active use. 80 per cent of doctors and psychotherapists are already uploading ePA documents, and many are using content from the digital patient record in their treatment. However, the technical implementation within the PVS is also cited here as a crucial point. Access attempts fail or are slow, uploads fail, and some report system crashes. So, whilst the electronic patient record brings added value on the one hand, on the other it also means more internal effort.

The good news is that with linqi, this can be reduced to a minimum!

What does the digital patient record mean for day-to-day operations in hospitals, GP practices and care homes?

In day-to-day healthcare, the biggest friction points when using the ePA often do not arise from the strategy itself, but rather from the many small process steps that hold staff up:

• Who submits which document by when?
• Who checks and approves it?
• What is still missing?
• Where has a process got stuck?
• Has a handover been successfully completed?
• Who is responsible for responding to errors?

This is precisely where the obligation to populate the ePA quickly becomes an organisational challenge. For, as the Federal Government itself acknowledges, issues such as uniform standards, user-friendliness and the interconnection of systems cannot be resolved overnight, despite mandatory requirements. Yet organisations need robust workflows now, not in a few years’ time. Clear processes must be in place, for example to address ePA discrepancies and access regulations relating to the ePA opt-out.

Targeted and straightforward process automation, such as that offered by linqi, can provide a simple yet effective solution here. A closer look at the hurdles in digital healthcare cited by the German government in relation to the ePA highlights the added value of linqi.

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How does linqi overcome key ePA hurdles?

linqi Power #1: End-to-end digitalised processes – even in complex system landscapes

The ePA environment poses significant technical and organisational challenges for many hospitals, clinics and doctors’ practices. Different systems, areas of responsibility and user interfaces increase the effort required for coordination. As a result, processes are delayed because information has to be coordinated between teams and systems.

linqi creates clear, digital processes that map internal workflows with tasks, deadlines and transparent responsibilities. This makes day-to-day operations more manageable, even when the system landscape is heterogeneous.

linqi Power #2: An intuitive and efficient interface, without any disruption in user experience

The German government’s statement addresses, amongst other things, barriers to use and adoption. In practice, complex interfaces often lead to queries, errors and duplication of effort. Staff then end up working in several systems simultaneously and waste time due to unclear steps.

For example, linqi does not replace the hospital information system (HIS) in a hospital, but it can make internal workflows more transparent and binding. The no-code solution structures processes using forms, mandatory fields, validations and clear steps. This reduces errors and provides clarity, regardless of how complex the interface of a primary system is.

linqi Power #3: Automatic organisation of ePA documents

Service providers must digitise ePA documents. This significantly increases the operational workload. More documents, more coordination, more approvals and a higher risk of something falling through the cracks. Faulty or incomplete workflows prior to PVS billing frequently lead to queries and additional effort.

With linqi, these hurdles can be circumvented. The no-code solution automatically organises the processes surrounding these mandatory steps, thereby ensuring greater reliability in day-to-day operations. This includes, amongst other things, requesting missing documents, compiling discharge packages, coordinating approvals and documenting individual verification steps. At the same time, escalations are triggered in the event of delays, and feedback or errors are highlighted at an early stage so that nothing goes unnoticed.

Important: The technical transfer of ePA documents continues to take place via the designated primary systems.

linqi Power #4: Orderly transition period for FHIR and EHDS

In its statement, the Federal Government also describes the phased introduction of standards such as FHIR and EHDS, with transition periods spanning several years. Whilst this makes sense, it also means that healthcare organisations will have to work for a long time with systems that are constantly changing. For staff, this can be not only inefficient but also unsettling.

With linqi, staff can model internal processes themselves – entirely regardless of the maturity of the systems. In this way, linqi creates digital routines through standardised internal procedures, role-based workflows, defined mandatory steps and automatic escalations. This establishes a reliable structure whilst external standards are implemented step by step.

linqi Power #5: Traceability, rights and responsibilities in day-to-day operations

Even as centralised solutions continue to evolve, hospitals, clinics and similar organisations already need clear internal documentation today. Traceability often presents a challenge in this regard.

Who checked, approved or escalated what? This is where linqi helps, with clear roles, responsibilities and documentation. This makes quality assurance and internal transparency significantly easier.

linqi Power #6: Browser-based interface as support for the ePA

The German Government’s statement makes it clear that browser-based access to the electronic patient record is currently not possible for security reasons. Furthermore, read-only access via operating system front-ends is not currently planned.

There’s no question about it: data protection and security are of the utmost importance when it comes to the ePA – but that doesn’t have to mean working in parallel: linqi is browser-based and can serve as a central interface for internal processes. This does not, of course, replace the ePA interface, but it does reduce the complexity of workflows that are not directly dependent on the ePA.

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A real-world example of ePA: The hospital discharge process using linqi

A hospital wishes to make its discharge process more reliable, as ePA documents must be prepared, checked and forwarded via the primary system in a timely manner. In day-to-day operations, however, the ward, medical staff, laboratory and quality management teams work under time pressure – and use different systems. linqi bridges this gap.

• Point #1: Start of the process
  As soon as a discharge is planned, a workflow such as ‘Prepare discharge package’ starts automatically in linqi.
• Point #2: Clear mandatory steps
  linqi displays, in a structured manner, what needs to be completed, for example, laboratory results, diagnostic reports, doctors’ letters, discharge letters, internal checks and approvals.
• Point #3: Automatic tracking
  If a document is missing, linqi automatically creates a task for the relevant role, complete with a deadline and escalation.
• Point #4: Role-based approvals
  Medical staff, nursing staff and quality management work within the same process. Every action is documented in a traceable manner.
• Point #5: Rigorous preparation for ePA handover
  linqi does not handle the technical transmission of ePA data, but ensures that all mandatory internal steps are completed and verified before handover to the HIS or ePA module.
• Point #6: Errors are visible rather than hidden
  If a handover fails or no feedback is received, linqi automatically triggers an escalation.

The result for the organisation: fewer queries, less time spent searching, clearer responsibilities and a more robust process despite a complex system landscape.

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Conclusion: linqi automates internal workflows for an efficient ePA structure

The German Government’s statement highlights one thing above all: the introduction of the ePA is not just a technical issue, but also a process-related one. Many hurdles arise in day-to-day practice where teams must work together reliably under time pressure, whilst standards and systems are still under development.

This is precisely where linqi can help to effectively reduce existing hurdles in the use of electronic patient records: not as a replacement for HIS, PVS, LIS or the ePA infrastructure, but as a robust process structure for internal workflows, efficiency and reliability in day-to-day operations.

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