Switzerland’s first electronic health record has been opened in Basel. The University Hospital Basel will soon be offering the service to patients at its clinics.
Electronic health records (EHR) are an important step forward in the digitalization of healthcare, according to Basel-Stadt’s Department of Health, eHealth Nordwestschweiz and the University Hospital Basel.
Resulting in more efficient treatment, they file documents and data for both health institutes and patients, who can determine access permissions.
Now, the University Hospital has launched the first EHR in Switzerland. It was opened and demonstrated on Wednesday by state councillor Lukas Engelberger.
He explained that by encouraging patients to take more responsibility and thus preventing unnecessary treatment, “electronic health records play a significant role in increasing efficiency and cost effectiveness in healthcare”.
He added: “For these reasons, the Department of Health sees great benefit in introducing EHRs as widely as possible.”
From 2020, all Swiss hospitals will have to offer their patients an EHR, but the University Hospital Basel is already offering one to patients at selected clinics. From next year, all the hospital’s clinics will be included in the project.
The canton of Basel-Stadt is playing a pioneering role in the introduction of EHRs, according to a statement, with the Department of Health financing and doing comprehensive groundwork. The canton also worked with the cantons of Basel-Landschaft and Solothurn.