Germany's Electronic Patient Record Mandatory from October 1, 2025
As of October 1, 2025, a significant milestone in German healthcare has been reached. The electronic patient record (ePA) system has become mandatory for doctors and psychotherapists, marking the end of a gradual rollout that began earlier this year.
The ePA, which allows patients to control their medical data, has seen rapid adoption. More than 93 percent of practices, dental practices, and pharmacies are now equipped with the necessary software module. Around 61,600 of the 98,500 medical practices in Germany are participating in the system.
Since the start of the year, approximately 22 million documents have been loaded into ePAs. From October 1, doctors and psychotherapists are required to enter important treatment data, including medical findings, treatment reports, and lab results, provided the patient has not objected. The ePA module must be integrated into the practice management system for this to occur.
The ePA system, which stores data on servers in Germany with each access logged, was initially tested in three regions before being expanded nationwide with voluntary participation from doctors. Around 70 million of the approximately 74 million insured persons in Germany now have an ePA.
The ePA system's widespread adoption and mandatory use by healthcare providers mark a significant step towards digitalizing and centralizing patient records in Germany. This shift aims to improve patient care, reduce administrative burdens, and enhance data security.
