The EPR in short

The electronic patient record (EPR) is a personal collection of health-related documents. Via a secure internet connection, this information is accessible at any time both for you and for your healthcare professionals. But you decide yourself who can see what documents, and when they can do so.

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What is the EPR?

The electronic patient record (EPR) is a personal collection of health-related documents. These could include, for example, your hospital discharge report, Spitex (home care) report, medication list, X-ray findings, or vaccination card.

Via a secure internet connection, this information is accessible at any time both for you and for your healthcare professionals – on a PC or smartphone, at home or wherever you happen to be. But you decide yourself who can see which documents, and when. The medical information in the EPR belongs to you, so you decide how it is to be used.

In an emergency, thanks to the EPR, important information is available rapidly, even if you are not able to provide it yourself.

For whom is the EPR?

Anyone in Switzerland can open an EPR. The EPR is voluntary and free and can be closed again at any time. Although it is called “patient record”, you don’t need to be sick to open one. A healthy person can also open an EPR. The EPR is voluntary and free for people in Switzerland.

Obligation for facilities offering in-patient treatment and doctor’s surgeries registered from 2022

Acute care hospitals, rehabilitation centres, psychiatric hospitals, nursing homes and birthing centres plus doctor’s surgeries newly registered from 2022 are obliged to join the EPR.

Voluntary for other specialists in the healthcare sector and the general public

EPR affiliation for specialists in the healthcare sector as well as for doctors registered before 2022, pharmacists, Spitex providers and physiotherapists is at their own discretion.

Who is the EPR not designed for?

Persons and organisations not involved in patient care cannot access the EPR. Accordingly, the EPR cannot be accessed by employers, authorities, health insurers, supplementary insurance providers or life insurers. Nor can EPR documents be examined by a health insurer’s independent medical adviser.

The EPR does not contain all the electronically recorded health information concerning a patient, but only that which is relevant for other health professionals and for subsequent treatment.

Not a complete medical record

Alongside the EPR, health professionals continue to maintain their patients’ complete medical records. These records contain far more information than the EPR – for example, personal notes made by the professional treating the patient.

Not a place for storing official files

Authorities or health insurers cannot store documents in – or access – the EPR.

The EPR contains information important for your treatment. Both healthcare professionals and you yourself can store documents in the EPR.

Examples of documents you can store yourself:

Previous X-ray findings or laboratory test results
Your personal pain dairy
Blood pressure readings from a smartphone app
Glasses prescription
Advance directive
Organ donor card

External link: Information on the organ donor card

Content is only available in German, French, and Italian:

The EPR will be gradually refined and improved. Initially documents will mainly be shared as PDFs. But it won’t be long before interactive formats can also be integrated on the EPR platform. This will enable doctors and pharmacists, for example, to adjust their patients’ current medication list directly in the EPR.

The more people open an EPR and the more healthcare providers are prepared to store key documents in the record, the greater the benefit of the EPR will be. The goal should be that all the health professionals involved in a patient’s care have access to the same information at all times. This will make the flow of information relating to a treatment better and more efficient.

Content is only available in German, French, and Italian:

External link: The EPR in action

Benefits

You have the overview and control. Sharing information is easier for everyone.

Find out more about the benefits (in German)

Functions

File and view documents. Grant access. Accessible for doctors in emergencies.

Find out more about the functions (in German)

Security

The Data Protection Act and the Federal Act on the EPR ensure that your EPR documents are protected from unauthorised access and stored securely.

Find out more about security (in German)

How to open an EPR

Choosing an EPR provider

In order to open an EPR, you first need to choose a federally certified EPR provider. The procedure for opening an EPR, the language and some of the functions available will vary according to the provider.

Choose a provider

Electronic identity

To securely access an EPR, you need a certified electronic identity. On the website of your EPR provider, you can find out which electronic identities are supported. If you do not yet have an electronic identity, the provider will explain how you can obtain one.

Application for opening an EPR

Your provider will guide you through the process of opening an EPR. Please read the terms and conditions on the consent form, and sign it either by hand or using your electronic identity. Your EPR will then be created. This may take a few days.

Log in to your EPR

You will then receive the access data enabling you to log in to your EPR via the provider’s portal. When you first log in, your provider may require you to link your EPR to your electronic identity. After that, you will only need your electronic identity to log in via the EPR portal.

Open an EPR

Choose your EPR provider

To open your EPR, you must select an EPR provider and go through their registration process.

Overview of providers