eHealth strategy

State focuses on digitalization in the healthcare sector

Presentation in the Landhaus: Vorarlberg is leading the way in digitalization in the healthcare sector.(Bild: Bernd Hofmeister)

With its eHealth strategy, the Vorarlberg state government is mapping out the planned path forward to exploit the many opportunities offered by digitalization in the healthcare sector. The aim is to make improvements that will benefit both patients and doctors.

The state's eHealth strategy will be based on three pillars in future. The digital achievements are to be used for health promotion and prevention in future. They should also help to steer patients away from hospital outpatient clinics to the "best point of service" and improve medical care.

Specifically, State Health Minister Martina Rüscher has planned to add additional functions to the existing health apps "Vbewegt" and "Xsund". At the same time, a digital service is to be developed for secure communication between patients and doctors, which will be used across all applications throughout Vorarlberg. A pilot project with QR code transmission will be introduced for the forwarding of 1450 callers. Furthermore, the possibilities of telemedicine in the care of chronically ill patients are to be exploited, for example through the expansion of the "HerzMobil" concept or through the specialized oncology network "OnkoMobil".

Regional Health Councillor Martina Rüscher (ÖVP).(Bild: Bernd Hofmeister)

The Austrian Health Insurance Fund acts as an important partner for the state as part of the eHealth strategy. "Digitalization is also a core area for us, eHealth is playing an increasingly important role in the care of the future. We will therefore be happy to make our contribution not only to the development of the eHealth strategy, but also to its implementation," said Christoph Jenny, Chairman of the ÖGK provincial committee.

Günter Rauchegger, eHealth advisor to the state of Vorarlberg, sees the eHealth strategy as a concrete roadmap for the comprehensive digitalization of the healthcare system, which is based on national and European priorities and activities. Vorarlberg is leading the way in creating a digital system that offers an improved link between patients and those treating them and at the same time meets the high requirements in terms of data security and transparency.

This was also emphasized by the President of the Vorarlberg Medical Association, Burkhard Walla. The digital networking of healthcare services could bring great benefits for patients and doctors as well as for other professions involved in healthcare, but ethical and legal challenges must be considered when implementing it. "Personal data must remain protected from misuse and digital information must only supplement doctor-patient contact, not replace it," says Walla. This also requires a high level of digital health literacy among the population, which must be improved and expanded together with the technical possibilities.