25-11-2024

As a leading provider of the electronic patient record (EPR), Swiss Post is enhancing its service and introducing a new technical platform for this purpose. To do so, it is working with Trifork, an internationally established company for digital health solutions. The providers of the EPR – the “reference communities” – will, in turn, receive a more user-friendly platform, allowing new services such as for medication or issuing prescriptions to be quickly integrated into the EPR. Private users will also find it easier to use. By taking this significant step, Swiss Post is pushing ahead with the EPR and enabling secure digital information exchange in the healthcare sector.

Digital public service

 Swiss Post has been an important service provider in digitizing the healthcare system for several years, and ensures the secure transmission of confidential and sensitive information with the electronic patient record. Swiss Post is certified for this digital public service in accordance with the Federal Act on the Electronic Patient Record. The platform meets the stringent legal requirements of the Confederation. 

Internationally proven cloud solution

 Swiss Post is using the cloud-based platform from Trifork to enhance the EPR. Founded in Denmark and headquartered in Switzerland, the company has operated in the digital health sector for over 20 years and has developed national solutions for patients and healthcare professionals such as the Danish medication card (FMK) and the Danish immunization register. Sensitive personal data is stored and exchanged in the EPR, which is why Swiss Post has opted for secure technology that safeguards this data. It develops and operates the solution in Switzerland. 

Accelerating the digital transition in the healthcare sector

 The platform will also offer greater ease of use. Nicole Burth, Head of Communication Services and a member of Executive Management, explains: “We are now digitally active in all areas of our professional and private lives. But when it comes to health, many people carry their physical vaccination record, child health booklet or X-rays around with them. Swiss Post is continuing to develop the electronic patient record to advance the digital transformation in the healthcare sector. With our new EPR platform, we’re launching a modern, secure solution for Switzerland — an EPR that is user-friendly and allows for quicker integration of new features. Our goal is for the EPR to become an everyday companion for private users and healthcare professionals. Just like a smartphone or a stethoscope.” 

No additional costs for reference communities 
Swiss Post is a leader in the EPR market. The majority of the reference communities use Swiss Post’s platform, representing around 90 percent of existing records. Swiss Post will introduce the new platform from 2025 and transfer the patient records to the new environment. Swiss Post will build on its existing system. This ensures that the data transfer will not result in any additional costs for the reference communities. The new platform will ensure that healthcare facilities can continue to connect their systems. The new platform will enable Swiss Post to offer new functions and services such as for medication or issuing prescriptions more quickly to EPR providers – the reference communities. This will benefit the members of the reference communities, hospitals and other healthcare facilities. 

Investment required now
The Federal Council has announced that it will present the dispatch on the revision of the law on the EPR in spring 2025 and will include the centralization of the technical EPR infrastructure in the comprehensive revision. According to the announcement, a standardized platform will now be provided by the Confederation. Swiss Post welcomes this policy decision by the Federal Council. As the largest EPR platform operator, Swiss Post intends to replace the current technical solution, irrespective of the announcement. It has this obligation to its users. This is why Swiss Post decided several months ago to reorganize its EPR platform for the future. The company aims to work with its partners to develop the EPR in coming years and ensure that it does not stagnate.

Source: Swiss Post

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