Friday, December 19, 2025

DiGA E-Prescription Pilot Exposes Significant Barriers Ahead of Nationwide Rollout

The introduction of e-prescriptions for Digital Health Applications (DiGA) was intended to mark another milestone on the path toward fully digital healthcare delivery. However, the recently published results of the DiGA e-prescription pilot in the Hamburg metropolitan region indicate, from the perspective of the German Digital Healthcare Association (SVDGV), a clear need for recalibration.

During the pilot phase from May to September 2025, only 12.6 percent of issued DiGA e-prescriptions were redeemed fully digitally, with an additional 10.9 percent redeemed via a paper printout. As a result, actual therapy uptake fell well short of the redemption rates typically observed under the previous “Muster 16” paper-based process, which ranged between 50 and 70 percent.

According to the association, the primary causes are significant access barriers within the current process. Additional app downloads, the need to apply for a PIN for the electronic health card, or the setup of a digital health ID within health insurer apps pose major obstacles for both physicians and patients. At present, the redemption process is neither intuitive nor low-threshold.

“The e-prescription is a key building block for modern healthcare. Precisely for this reason, we must take an honest look at the pilot results and further develop the process so that patients can access their digital therapies without barriers,” says Dr. med. Christoph Twesten, Board Member of the SVDGV. Ahead of a nationwide rollout, a joint, patient-oriented revision of the process is required.

Beyond implications for care delivery, the SVDGV also highlights economic risks. DiGA are regarded internationally as a pioneering concept “made in Germany” and are predominantly developed by innovation-driven small and medium-sized enterprises. A nationwide introduction with redemption rates at pilot level could jeopardise the economic foundation of the entire sector, thereby weakening an internationally recognised German innovation ecosystem.

The SVDGV therefore recommends postponing the planned nationwide rollout in the first half of 2026 in its current form and revising the redemption process in advance. At the same time, the association emphasises its willingness to engage in dialogue and calls for close cooperation with all relevant stakeholders to jointly develop a practical, patient-centred and future-proof solution.