Survey reveals: Big gap between awareness and use of digital health services in Germany

Digital health services are the untapped potential of the healthcare system.
The digitalization of Germany’s healthcare sector is considered one of the key challenges of the current legislative period. It will determine the future viability and quality of care in an already strained healthcare system. But the decisive factor is that digital solutions must create clear added value for patients – only then will they be used and integrated into everyday life.

A recent, representative Civey survey conducted by Pharma Deutschland highlights this challenge. There is a significant gap between awareness and actual use of digital health services:

• E-prescription: 86.2% are aware of it, but only 60.3% have used it.
• Electronic Patient Record (ePA): 78.3% awareness, but only 17.7% usage.
• Digital health apps on prescription (DiGA): 28% awareness, only 4.7% usage.

The numbers make it clear: knowledge alone is not enough. Dorothee Brakmann, CEO of Pharma Deutschland, emphasizes: “For everyone who is serious about the digitalization of the healthcare system, these figures must be a wake-up call. This is not a good starting point to unlock the great potential of digitalization in the medium term.”

To successfully drive transformation, targeted education, consistent user base expansion, and above all, trust in digital strategies are essential. Only when policymakers, providers, and industry work together can digitalization close care gaps, promote innovation, and make the healthcare system future-proof.