eCardiology: a structured approach to foster the digital transformation of cardiovascular medicine

The use of digital technologies in medicine is developing largely in parallel with the IT industry. Today, every cardiologist in Germany uses IT systems to make appointments, store patient data and write doctor’s letters. So why is it necessary to introduce a dedicated eCardiology program within the German Society of Cardiology (DGK)? So far, digitalization has failed in many respects to fulfill its promise of making the daily lives of physicians and patients easier. Clinical EDP solutions derive mainly from accounting systems and lead only to a limited extent to an improvement in patient care. Negative effects on burnout rates and job satisfaction of medical staff could even be observed. Additionally, since May 2018 the introduction of the European General Data Protection Regulation with its principles of purpose limitation and data minimization has made the storage and use of medical data more difficult. This also has fundamental implications for developments in artificial intelligence (AI), which are based on the availability and quality of big data (= large, complex data sets) and could permanently change the healthcare system. The technology-driven progress of medicine does not end at the doorstep of a hospital but causes a significant cultural change in our society. The use of so-called wearables, search engines on the Internet and social media is increasingly enabling e‑patients to make their own diagnoses and independent decisions regarding their health. As a result, physicians often see well-informed, but also misinformed patients who have been advised on health-related data by their own smart devices. The DGK recognizes the enormous challenges and potential of digital medicine to improve the prognosis of cardiovascular diseases. As part of the eCardiology program, the Society has established five committees to promote and communicate important aspects of digital health: transsectoral collaboration, mobile health, precision digital health, society and policy, and education and media. We report here on the elements of each committee and its working groups.