Since the beginning of 2025, the electronic patient file has been made available to all insured persons as an objection-based service (ePA for all). As a result, healthcare providers - starting with surgeries and hospitals - were also obliged to use the electronic patient record for all and to make relevant medical information available to their patients during the treatment process via the electronic patient record for all as of 1 October 2025.

This change in the provision of care, towards the use of a digital tool that is to be used as mandatory, is always accompanied by a major change in process workflows. In addition, the technical requirements in the facilities must first be created and run reliably. Staff need to be trained; patients need to be informed about the most important aspects of using the ePA for everyone .

The Innovation Committee of the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) is funding a study via the Innovation Fund to analyse the process of introducing the ePA for all . The aim is to gain insights into which important factors influence the success of such major digitalisation initiatives in the health care system. In this study, 100 practices and 10 hospitals in North Rhine-Westphalia are being scientifically monitored and surveyed at various times over a period of 1 1/2 years about their experiences with the ePA for all . The study will look at facilities that already took part in the accompanied piloting of the ePA for all in the first half of 2025, as well as facilities that are managing the introduction of the ePA for all independently and unaccompanied.

In addition, 600 AOK Rheinland/Hamburg policyholders will also be asked to take part in a survey on their experience of using the ePA for all .