Digital Public Health in Slovenia

Abstract

Abstract The digitalisation of the Slovene healthcare system began in the mid-2000s with the publication of the eHealth 2010 strategy. However, it was not until 2016 that the digitalisation process gained significant momentum with the adoption of the Resolution on the National Health Care Plan 2016-2025 and the conclusion of the pilot phase of the eHealth project. These resulted in a unified health data infrastructure that links various health databases and telemedicine services, including the central registry of patient data, ePrescriptions, eReferrals, eConsultations, and the electronic registry of vaccinations (eRCO). Slovenia's eHealth capacity proved critical in enabling continuity of care during the pandemic, with more than 60% of the population consulting their physician or receiving a prescription remotely. This was enabled by the national patient portal, zVEM, which created a one-stop- shop for health services and information and the changes in the reimbursement rules of the national health insurance institute during the pandemic, which enabled the reimbursement of teleconsultations. Crucial for public health and health research, the current health data infrastructure links various national databases, including national cancer and central population registries. However, gaps remain in the health information system. For example, data from long-term healthcare services are inadequately captured, and there is currently no scope for linkage between health and the social welfare system datasets. In November 2022, the government unveiled a new healthcare digitalisation strategy for 2022-27. Its key objectives include streamlining the governance of eHealth services, infrastructures, and health data, implementing a standardised electronic patient record supporting medical imaging, and creating a national framework for telemedicine. The strategy also aims to enable the secondary use of health data in preparation for participating in the European Health Data Space.