Germany’s Federal Ministry of Health recently unveiled a Digitisation Strategy for Health and Care, with a key goal of improving hospital scores on DigitalRadar. DigitalRadar is a digital maturity model created by the ministry in partnership with HIMSS and other research and advisory partners. By the end of 2025, the strategy plans to increase the digital maturity of 50% of all hospitals funded under the Hospital Future Fund by at least two levels in at least two categories of the DigitalRadar benchmark. No other country has such a comprehensive database on the degree of digitisation of its hospital landscape.
An early assessment of DigitalRadar placed Germany’s hospitals in midfield on the global stage. An analysis of digital maturity by over 1,500 German hospitals found that they scored highest on structures and systems, but patient participation and telehealth revealed the most room for improvement. The DigitalRadar consortium, which includes HIMSS, carried out the evaluation on behalf of Germany’s Federal Ministry of Health.
Several current movements are pushing Germany toward digitisation of its healthcare system. In addition to DigitalRadar, nationwide developments in reimbursable health applications and the rollout of electronic patient records for holders of statutory health insurance are contributing to this push.
The Digitisation Strategy for Health and Care was created following a comprehensive six-month period of collecting and analyzing more than 500 public submissions through an open consultation process. The strategy aims to improve the quality, efficiency, and safety of healthcare in Germany through digital technologies.
