In the debate over improving patient management in the German health system, statutory health insurers are pushing for a digital navigator that can issue prescriptions or specialist referrals in certain situations without any physician contact.
The proposal originates from the insurer‑wide association and has been reported in the Monday editions of the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” newspapers. Insurers plan to make the navigator’s use mandatory before a patient even steps into a doctor’s office. Access could be via a smartphone app or by calling the 116117 medical hotline.
From the insured’s perspective, the tool would become the primary point of contact in healthcare. By asking structured questions and using data from electronic patient records, it would determine treatment urgency and route patients to the appropriate service-whether that’s an appointment with a general practitioner, a referral to the emergency department, a video consultation, or an electronic referral to a specialist. The association envisages building a neutral, transparent appointment platform to facilitate this.
Vice‑chairwoman Stefanie Stoff‑Ahnis told the RND that the German health system urgently needs to catch up with digital technology, especially given the shortage of skilled professionals and financial pressures. She highlighted that, in certain cases, the new navigator could allow patients to receive a direct specialist referral without any prior physician visit.
The tool could also provide repeat prescriptions for well‑controlled chronic patients, enabling purely digital care processes that eliminate the need for in‑person appointments altogether. “We need a modern, digitally supported primary care” she added.
On Tuesday, Federal Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) will meet with various health‑sector associations to discuss how a primary care system should be structured.
