On the draft law to accelerate the digitalization of the healthcare system (Digital Act - DigiG)

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The Association of the Diagnostics Industry (VDGH) expressly welcomes the objectives of the German government's draft law to accelerate the digitalization of the healthcare system (DigiG). Patient-oriented digitalization of the healthcare system makes sense.

In particular, these objectives stated in the explanatory memorandum to the draft law contribute to this:

utilize the potential of the electronic patient record (ePA),
make digital health applications (DiGA) even more usable for healthcare,
improve interoperability,
enable digital care concepts in structured treatment programs and
to consolidate and further develop the innovation fund.

However, in order to achieve the goal of patient-oriented digitalization, the VDGH also sees a need for changes at various points in the draft law, particularly in the definition of digital health applications. Corresponding articles and paragraphs of the DigiG are underlined below and specific proposed amendments are highlighted in bold or crossed out accordingly.

In a nutshell: The Association of the Diagnostics Industry (VDGH)

As a trade association, the German Diagnostics Industry Association (VDGH) represents the interests of more than 100 companies operating in Germany with a total turnover of 6.8 billion euros in 2022. They manufacture examination systems and reagents for the diagnosis of human diseases, which generate a turnover of more than 3.5 billion euros, as well as instruments, reagents, test systems and consumables for research in the life sciences, which generate a turnover of 3.3 billion euros.

www.vdgh.de