Doctors “surprised”

IT Chaos: New Parent-Child Health Record Postponed Again

The Parent-Child Passport—as the successor to the Mother-Child Passport—is to be available electronically in the future.(Bild: APA/BARBARA GINDL)

Another setback in the modernization of the healthcare system: The introduction of the electronic parent-child health record (formerly the mother-child health record), planned for October, is being postponed by a full year. This is already the second delay and yet another example of the system’s fundamental federalism problem.

The delay is due to technical difficulties in synchronizing the IT systems of the states and the federal government. The postponement will be approved by Parliament this week. The Medical Association says it is surprised by this completely unexpected delay.

Medical Association Is Surprised
A letter obtained by the “Krone” states: “From our perspective, this course of action is more than surprising.” The electronic EKP is a “correct and important” step that was preceded by “long and arduous negotiations.” Now, a field trial is to take place in Carinthia during the transition year.

The checkups are designed to systematically detect and prevent diseases.(Bild: Martin A. Jöchl)

The implementation of the electronic Parent-Child Passport has already been postponed once; it was originally planned for early 2026. As early as December 2025, the “complexity of the project” was cited as the reason for the delay.

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Pregnancies and births will be recorded digitally only in the future
In principle, the Parent-Child Health Record (EKP)—which was known as the Mother-Child Health Record until the end of 2023—is intended to enable the early detection of health and psychosocial risk factors in mothers and their children. With the transition to digital, pregnancies will be documented exclusively in electronic form in the future. In addition, starting March 1, 2027, data on children born on or after that date will be stored electronically for the first time.

Vienna City Councilwoman Naghme Kamaleyan-Schmied welcomes the planned digitization. “Unfortunately, however, the implementation was not sufficiently prepared. There were many unresolved issues, including the integration with ID-Austria and the financing of the modules in doctors’ offices.” Furthermore, there is a lack of interfaces in hospitals; the bureaucracy is excessive; and instead of simplification and reducing red tape, duplicate documentation is planned. “A predictable chaos that would have placed a burden on pregnant women and doctors.”