DiGA: How Germany Channeled Digital Health Apps Into Its Healthcare System

Digital health applications and solutions are increasingly becoming part of our healthcare experience. Partially because they offer fast and convenient solutions for problems arising from capacity shortages of the traditional medical systems (like skin checking apps), or because they enhance the capabilities of doctors, medical personnel, or hospitals (like sepsis watch algorithms or A.I. diagnostics models). While these apps are available in a large number of medical specialities, channelling them into state-run healthcare systems to harness the benefits on population-wide scales is challenging.  Germany’s DiGA system tackles this issue with a model that is worth a detailed analysis. DiGA stands for Digitale Gesundheitsanwendung or Digital Health Applications in English. We dived deep into this model with the valuable help of:  Dr. Anne Sophie Geier – Managing Director of the German Digital Healthcare AssociationInga Bergen – Healthcare Innovation Facilitator & Podcast Host “Visionäre der Gesundheit“Hauke Rienhoff – Chief Commercial Officer – Orthopy Health GmbHLennart Dörwald – CEO & Co-Founder – Orthopy Health GmbH How does the DiGA system work? For DiGAs the German lawmakers have developed an innovative and new legal foundation: the Digital Healthcare Act, passed in December 2019. Based on the new law, 73 million Germans covered by statutory health insurance (approximately 90% of the total population) are now entitl...
Source: The Medical Futurist - Category: Information Technology Authors: Tags: TMF Digital Health Research Healthcare Policy healthcare system germany digital health apps DIGA Source Type: blogs