ELGA health record

Court of Audit criticizes duplicate examinations

A child during an examination(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

The Austrian Court of Audit (ACA) criticized the electronic health record (ELGA) on Thursday. It is not yet complete, which is why there are unnecessary duplicate examinations. There was also a lack of an overview of the total costs. 

The Court of Audit examined the years 2018 to 2022. At the beginning of ELGA (2015), there were no concrete goals, it said. Today, the rules still allow for "different interpretations". Usage also varies. According to the Court of Audit, electronic reports have so far almost only been issued in hospitals, but they should also be available in specialist practices, radiology institutes and laboratories. Image data and blood values, for example, could then be transmitted. As not everything is always recorded, this would lead to unnecessary duplicate examinations. 

The Court of Audit also recommends expanding the e-vaccination record and e-medication. Four vaccinations had to be recorded in ELGA by the end of 2023: Covid-19, influenza, Mpox (monkeypox) and human papillomavirus (HPV). There is no overview of the total costs.

Rauch: "Expansion far too slow"
Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) agreed with the report "on many points". "The expansion of ELGA into a genuine health portal with practical benefits has progressed far too slowly so far." In the meantime, a standardized summary of every person's basic medical information has been decided. In addition, "a lot of new things are being planned."

Patients can choose whether or not to participate in ELGA and receive both electronic and printed prescriptions.