Freie Ärzteschaft criticizes German electronic patient record

One year after the mandatory introduction of the electronic patient record (ePA) in Germany on October 1, 2025, the Freie Ärzteschaft (FÄ) has criticized the multi-billion euro project as a failure. Dr. Silke Lüder, deputy federal chairwoman of the FÄ, stated that despite government claims of success, the system has become an ‘ePA for a few’ rather than the promised ‘ePA for all.’

Key criticisms include low active usage among the 74 million statutory health insurance members, a complex and error-prone telematics infrastructure (TI), and poor usability. The organization also raised significant concerns regarding data protection, noting that sensitive medical letters are being removed from the protection of physician-patient confidentiality to be made available to various medical professions.

Furthermore, there is apprehension regarding the flow of data to a state collection point for research, which could allow third parties to use data for commercial evaluation. The FÄ also warned of increased cybersecurity risks with the planned TI 2.0, which may allow the use of unverified, market-standard card readers by various medical practitioners.