Progress is being made with the digitalization of the healthcare system – in Germany and Europe. With the European Health Data Space (EHDS), a common European platform is currently being created with which we can use health data more comprehensively. For example, to improve individual care. Or to provide research with a solid data basis for rare diseases.
The EHDS is a European regulation that came into force in March 2025. In Germany, the data space will gradually become mandatory and is expected to be fully implemented between 2027 and 2034. It pursues two central approaches: primary use, i.e. the exchange of data for direct medical care, and secondary use, i.e. the use of health data for research, innovation, and political control. For Germany, this means that the national infrastructure must be seamlessly integrated into the European framework.
How do the centrally organized electronic patient record (ePA) in Germany and the EHDS interact? The European Health Data Space and the ePA pursue similar goals, but are based on fundamentally different IT architectures. While the ePA is designed as a central cloud infrastructure, the EHDS relies on a decentralized data space. It connects existing national systems through a federated network. Data remains stored locally but can be exchanged via standardized interfaces and the central interoperability platform MyHealth@EU.
The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action has supported 11 projects to create secure, sovereign, and interoperable data infrastructures until 2025. Around 130 million euros flowed into research and innovation projects. The best-known examples are data rooms for smart living, Industry 4.0, mobility, and Catena‑X.
It is high time to set standards and use the potential of health data for better care, innovative research, and sustainable health systems.
Dirk Backofen, Head of Digital Identity Business at T-Systems
Catena-X is the automotive industry's data ecosystem. Currently, more than 180 companies are registered for this data space. Participants include major automotive manufacturers such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Ford, Renault, and Volvo; numerous suppliers such as Bosch, ZF, Schaeffler, and Magna; as well as IT and service providers, including T-Systems. They share data across multiple levels of the supply chain and beyond - for example, for the entire life cycle of a battery.
From February 2027, the so-called Battery Pass will be mandatory for all batteries with more than 2 kWh placed on the market in the EU. The pass contains information about the origin, CO2 footprint, materials used, use, and recyclability of the battery. T-Systems has developed a battery pass solution that processes data from all phases of the battery life cycle and integrates it into a digital twin. The exchange of this information takes place via the Catena-X data space.
And where do we stand in the healthcare system? The initial course of action has already been set in Spain. T-Systems has built a platform to implement the data strategy of the Canary Islands Health Authority, also known as – SCS. The initial focus is on the expenditure on medicines in hospitals and outpatient facilities. In the Canary Islands, this amounts to around 700 million euros. This is the first step towards a future data office of the SCS, and the basis for a later interface to the EHDS.
In Germany, we are facing a double challenge: on the one hand, to drive forward national digitalization, and on the other, to ensure European harmonization. The electronic patient record, which has been available to all people with statutory health insurance since the end of April, will become mandatory from 1st October.
With the entry into force of the EHDS, the following opportunities and challenges arise:
The EHDS relies on European standards for electronic health records (European Health Records). For Germany, this means adapting its own ePA to these standards to be able to exchange data across borders. This means close cooperation between all players in the healthcare system.
The EHDS strengthens the rights of patients to control, share, or release their data for research purposes. This fits well with the principles of the German ePA, which also relies on the active participation of the insured. However, clear rules for data protection and data security must be established here in order to ensure the trust of users. This means finding ways to enable access to patient data in a self-confident and secure manner by authenticating the patient's European Digital Identity Wallet. In this respect, we have to consider and implement the technical and architectural frameworks of the EHDS and the EUDI wallet together.
Through an extensive European data set and the cross-border use of health data, we can significantly strengthen Germany as a research location. This is because the availability of high-quality, pseudonymized data accelerates the development of new therapies and drugs.
The integration of the German ePA into the European infrastructure requires a comprehensive modernization of the existing systems. Interoperability, data security, and user-friendliness are central topics.
Conclusion: The EHDS is another lever to drive digitalization in healthcare. The electronic patient record forms the foundation on which a European, interoperable, and data protection-compliant healthcare infrastructure can be created. For those involved in the healthcare sector, this means that it is high time to set standards and use the potential of health data for better care, innovative research, and sustainable health systems. Only together can we fully exploit the opportunities of the EHDS and actively shape the future of European healthcare.
