Almost 15 million euros from the Region to support the complete digital archiving of all health documents, both issued by the public and by the private agreement. There are currently 1.2 million files with active consultation, against a potential audience of 4.5 million users
Bologna – The digital revolution of medicine in Emilia-Romagna comes alive: the electronic health record, the tool that simultaneously archives, in a continuous and timely manner, one’s own health history and allows direct access to online services, is created automatically for all citizens. Of course, to protect their privacy, healthcare professionals who take care of the patient will be able to consult them only after their consent.
Thus, Emilia-Romagna, the first Region in Italy, adapts to the national provisions on digital health contained in the so-called ‘Revival Decree’, and to give strength to this change there is also a resolution of the Regional Council, with which the he economic commitment of the Authority to strengthen this tool, which remotely gives the possibility to store and consult all health information.
The resources allocated for the two-year period 2020/2021 amounted to 14,741,049.84 euros, divided between the health authorities (80% of the total, therefore 11,792,839.88 euros) and the in-house company Lepida (to which the rest goes 20%, for a total of € 2,948,209.96, to improve more and more this useful tool available to health professionals and patients.
At the moment in Emilia-Romagna there are 1,197,964 active files, compared to a potential user, ie patients who have a general practitioner or pediatrician of free choice, of 4.5 million people.
“The more a healthcare system is digitized and computerized, the more it is ready to respond quickly to the patient’s needs – comments Raffaele Donini, regional councilor for health policies-. We have always seen the electronic health record as a fundamental tool for guaranteeing better assistance to our citizens, also significantly reducing many difficulties related to the lack of communication between structures, and therefore today we are proud to say that Emilia-Romagna is the first Region in Italy which systematically adopts it for all citizens. But it is, I want to reiterate, a possibility with the utmost respect for the protection of privacy and freedom of choice, not an imposition – concludes Donini -: the Dossier is created automatically, but will be activated and made available only and only when the patient will have given his consent, and every activity will always be traceable “.
What changes
While previously it was the single user who took charge of activating their ESF, first by registering online and then completing the process at an Ausl counter, now the electronic health record is created remotely for each Emilia-Romagna, and there they are automatically uploaded all the health documents produced by both public and private structures that have an agreement. The citizen, as already happens now, will also be able to integrate the File, autonomously adding further documents, thus completing their medical history.
However, the simplification of the procedure does not in any way affect the privacy and decision-making freedom of the citizen: doctors of the regional health service, general practitioners and free choice pediatricians will be able to consult the documentation only after the patient’s clear consent, who can also release it verbally to the doctor, obviously after taking charge of the patient. In any case, the patient retains the right to revoke the authorization at any time, either by contacting the same professional to whom he issued it, or by carrying out the procedure online.
To further protect patients’ personal data, all actions – from the collection of consent to access to documents – are tracked, recorded and can be consulted directly by the citizen on their electronic health record, with the possibility of receiving these notifications also via e-mail. .
For health professionals, in addition to a specific information that illustrates all the data management rules upon first access to the new ESF, a dedicated portal is available which summarizes all the information necessary for a correct consultation of the health documentation.
The distribution of the ESF Fund by Provinces
The resolution of the council allocates a total of 11,792,839.88 euros to the health authorities for the two-year period 2020-2021, which will be divided as follows: 849,940.81 euros to the Piacenza Ausl, 781,259.31 euros to the Parma Ausl, 476,532.33 euro to the Aosp of Parma, 1,231,274.08 euro to the Ausl of Reggio Emilia, 1,499,274.08 euro to the Ausl of Modena, 450,871.11 euro to the Aosp of Modena, 1,800,160.68 euro to the Ausl di Bologna, 576,158.25 euros to the Aosp of Bologna, 197,277.88 euros to the Rizzoli Orthopedic Institute, 438,606.56 euros to the Ausl of Imola, 834,091.24 euros to the Ausl of Ferrara, 316,527.08 to the Aosp of Ferrara and finally 2,340,178.40 to the AUSL of Romagna. / JF
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