Digitalization in Hospitals Is Making Progress

Saxony ranks first nationwide in a survey on the digitalization of the hospital sector. This is according to a survey conducted by the “DigitalRadar Krankenhaus” consortium on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health, as reported by the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK). With an average “digital maturity” score of 60.3 out of 100 points, Saxony ranks first among the federal states, followed by Berlin with 59.4 points. The national average is 55 points.

Digitalization in Hospitals Is Making Progress

“The digitization of Saxony’s hospitals is making encouraging progress—now it must consistently reach patients and have an impact beyond the boundaries of individual facilities,” commented Alexander Krauß, head of the TK in Saxony, on the figures. “Our goal is a digitally networked healthcare system in which data from the hospital is stored in a structured manner in the electronic health record and can be seamlessly used in the general practitioner’s practice software.”

Nationwide, the “DigitalRadar Score” has risen significantly since the Hospital Future Act took effect in 2020: from 33.3 points in 2021 to 55 points today. This represents an increase of approximately 65 percent; for hospitals in Saxony, the relative improvement is about 73 percent. A total of 1,531 hospitals participated in the third survey, including all hospitals in Saxony, according to the report.

Making Digitalization More Tangible in Patient Care

Digital maturity is measured across seven dimensions and is based on the hospitals’ self-assessments. According to the latest evaluation, progress has been made in all areas. “Technical and organizational structures are more digital; crisis and risk management, as well as system performance, have improved; and clinical processes are increasingly supported by digital tools,” emphasized TK. 

At the same time, it is becoming clear that the use of digital applications in patients’ daily lives—such as through portals, telemedicine, or digital forms—must be further strengthened.

212 million euros for Saxon hospitals

Nationwide, 4.3 billion euros are available to hospitals from the Hospital Future Fund for digitization; 1.3 billion euros are being provided by the federal states. In Saxony, 212 million euros are being allocated to hospitals’ digital projects.