Elga 2025: Digital revolution in healthcare starts now!

Elga 2025: Digital revolution in healthcare starts now!

From July 1, 2025, resident laboratories and radiologists must record their findings and images in the electronic health record (ELGA). This will be an essential step towards expanding and improving electronic health care in Austria. oe24.at reports that the development of ELGA should continue to progress between 2026 and 2030 by integrating additional health data and findings.

The current innovations include the introduction of a personalized patient short file, which is led under the term "patient summary", as well as a digital medication plan. These measures should not only increase efficiency in healthcare, but also improve the quality of patient care.

renovations and digital applications

The ELGA portal is subjected to fundamental renewal, and an ELGA app is also developed at the same time. Elga GmbH, which is owned by the federal government, the federal states and social security, has presented these plans and received support from the federal governments of the ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS, which have set the expansion of electronic acts in the government program.

Another innovative project is the digital medication plan "Digimed", which is intended to simplify an overview of the medication of a patient. From autumn 2025, e-image data should also be available for interactive access and downloads of X-ray images. As part of the "Integrated Care" initiative, people with chronic diseases are also undertaken, starting with diabetes and heart failure.

data protection and security standards

The implementation of ELGA is based on strict data protection guidelines, such as the [Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Health, Nursing and Consumer Protection] (https://www.social Ministry.gv.at/themen/GESTITY/EHETH/ELGA.HTML). This introduces an opt-out solution for patients who works analogously to the regulations for organ donation. The health telematics law from 2012 also regulates the duty of storage for relevant health data, for example discharge letters and emedication lists.

Access to the data is only via safe, encrypted health networks and is only possible in the 4-eye principle or with comparable safety measures. Only authorized health service providers may access patient data during the treatment or care relationship. This ensures that confidential information is always safe.

Digitization in healthcare is generally increasing, with the electronic patient file (EPA) available on a voluntary basis since January 1, 2021. This enables patients to access their health data worldwide - including blood values, previous illnesses and allergies. BSI emphasizes how important a secure IT infrastructure is in order to prevent unauthorized access and to maintain the confidentiality of the patient data.

To continue to promote digital health care, a connection to the European Health Data Area (EHDS) is being worked on. This network is intended to promote international exchange and the safe handling of health information and create improved communication platforms between health service providers.

Overall, the upcoming developments by ELGA are a promising step towards a more modern and effective health care in Austria.