The most important things in brief
- KHZG funding volume and objectives: The KHZG (Krankenhauszukunftsgesetz) provides 4.3 billion euros to promote digitization in hospitals and improve IT security.
- Funding criteria and requirements: Hospitals must meet specific funding criteria in order to receive funding, including the introduction of modern emergency capacities and digital documentation systems.
- Importance of IT documentation: Comprehensive IT documentation is crucial for the successful implementation of KHZG funding measures and sustainable digitization in healthcare.
Together with the Hospital Future Fund (German: KHZF), the federal and state governments will provide a total of 4.3 billion euros for hospitals for digitization and modernization in 2021. In order to implement their projects in the area of digitization and IT (information technology), these funding can be applied for until 31.12.2021. It is important to pay attention to this date, as otherwise the unclaimed funds will flow back to the federal government as a liquidity reserve of the health fund (Article 1 KHZG, point 2b).
Through the KHZG (Krankenhauszukunftsgesetz) Amendments to the existing Hospital Financing Act are also being applied. According to Article 1 of the KHZG, funding will also be granted after 31.12.2021, but less than half, i.e. 2 billion euros, will then be available by 2024.
KHZG funding facts
The funding is provided for various areas. In particular, the technical and information technology equipment of emergency rooms, the digital infrastructure and information security are explicitly listed in Article 1 point 4 points 2.1 to 2.4. that KHZG promotes targeted digitization projects in German hospitals. The specific areas of application for which funding can be applied for are 11 so-called KHZG funding criteria defined. Each issue addresses a specific digitization goal and contains its own requirements and mandatory criteria.
Here is a compact overview of all Funding facts:
Promotion of technical and structural measures to improve inpatient emergency care, including IT-based processes.
Introduction or expansion of portals for patient communication, digital recording, appointment scheduling, provision of information and aftercare.
Electronic regulation, interaction testing and structured documentation of drugs to increase patient safety.
Systems that support medical personnel in diagnosis and treatment decisions through evidence-based recommendations.
Standardised, structured and digital documentation of the entire care and treatment process for better traceability and efficiency.
Promoting digital networking with other players in the healthcare sector (e.g. family doctors, rehab and care facilities) to improve collaboration.
Integration of existing systems into the telematics infrastructure to make patient-related information available across sectors.
Implementation of organizational and technical measures to ensure IT security in hospitals in accordance with § 75c SGB V.
Use of open, standardized interfaces to ensure cross-system data exchange and avoid isolated solutions.
Development of systems for evaluating and analyzing patient data for quality improvement and economic management.
Establishment or expansion of telemedicine infrastructure, e.g. for teleconsulating, remote monitoring or video consultations — particularly in rural regions.
These funding criteria form the basis for the allocation of funds from the Hospital Future Fund. In practice, it makes sense to strategically plan measures and clearly document existing IT structures — for example with Docusnap. This makes it possible to identify weaknesses relevant to funding, meet requirements more easily and provide evidence efficiently.
The KHZG funding period
The KHZG funding period is clearly defined and includes both Application deadline as well as the Implementation period the funded measures. Here are the key points:
1. Application deadline
- Die Application deadline for KHZG funding ended on December 31, 2021.
- By this date, the federal states had to submit applications from hospital providers to the Federal Social Security Office (BAS).
- The hospitals themselves had to submit their project proposals in good time to the respective federal state, which then forwarded them to the BAS.
2nd Implementation period (funding period)
- The approved projects must Fully implemented by December 31, 2025 at the latest and be complete.
- By that time, all must funded measures technically implemented, put into operation and billed have been.
- The measures may take several years, but must be completed within this time frame so that the funding does not expire.
3rd Extension and deadline control
- The legislator has emphasized that this is a temporary investment support acts. An extension of the KHZG beyond 2025 has not yet been planned.
- If deadlines are breached or mandatory criteria are not met, there is a risk of Reclamation of funding.
- Hospitals must therefore plan, implement and document their project Make verifiable and audit-proof.
The KHZG digital radar
The DigitalRadar KHZG is a standardized measurement tool for evaluating the digital maturity level of hospitals within the framework of the KHZG. It was developed to make digitization in the German healthcare system measurable and comparable. All hospitals that receive funding from the Hospital Future Fund are required to participate in the self-assessment. Seven main areas are assessed, including IT security, patient participation, data management and technical infrastructure. The DigitalRadar is used both Evaluation of KHZG measures by the Federal Ministry of Health as well as for clinics themselves as a guide to identify needs for improvement. Tools such as Docusnap can help provide the necessary IT documentation for a well-founded assessment and strategic development.
Why information security is essential at KHZG
Information security is intended to ensure the confidentiality, availability and integrity of information. This allows information to be protected from unauthorized access or manipulation. IT doesn't just mean the purchase of new computers or laptops. And digitization doesn't just mean digital document storage. Both topics are about the strategy for how information technology and digitization will change and meaningfully complement all of our working lives in the future.
Section 19 of the KHZG describes the eligible projects, which also deal directly with information technology equipment. Under point 10, reference is also made clearly to the procurement, construction, expansion or development of information technology equipment, systems or processes that are appropriate to the state of the art and the technical measures to avoid availability disruptions.
Measures to ensure the availability, integrity and confidentiality of IT systems are regarded as a central component. Systems must be protected from damage and threats. Appropriate security measures are absolutely necessary, especially with regard to the electronic documentation of care and treatment services and the resulting personal data of patients. Several successful attacks on hospital systems showed that attacks are possible at any time and can permanently disrupt regular hospital operations.
When it comes to safety in particular, the KHZG has clear requirements. In particular, 15% of the funding requested must be used for information security (Article 2 KHZG — Amendment to Section 22 paragraph 2 of the Hospital Structural Fund Ordinance).
Since business or hospital management is generally responsible for this, measures should be taken in any case to determine the current situation, draw up a guideline and set up regular monitoring facilities. Since the manual effort required for control is very high, you should use automated software solutions that are able to take on these tasks independently and always have the latest data available.
In order for the money to be invested in the right areas, every administrative institution must first know what actually exists. And in what condition or age are components, programs or operating systems. In recent years, this information has degenerated into a level of information that can no longer be used as a result of unplanned purchases, undocumented expansions or simply through growth.
Steps to successfully implement the law
An accurate inventory of all devices and technologies used is the basic requirementto comply with §19 paragraph 10 of the KhZG.
Even if you are able to maintain and replace your own IT yourself, this is not possible without meticulous listing of the components used and an equally precise planning of the work to be carried out. After all, the available capital should not only be applied for, but also used sensibly in accordance with the KHZG. In IT, this means that no one can modernize an IT system without fully knowing the individual components.
Existing security gaps caused by outdated operating systems, software and associated patches or hardware can only be eradicated with the help of automated inventory and documentation software. Old technologies that continue to be used unconsciously can also quickly nullify the success of a costly modernization. Above all, however, old operating systems and hardware endanger the security of the entire IT and offer numerous options for external attacks.
Why is IT documentation crucial for KHZG?
With professional documentation and inventory software such as Docusnap, you are able to create a complete overview of IT and the entire network and present both network and topology plans graphically and therefore in an easy-to-understand and comprehensible way.
In addition, all computers, notebooks, printers, operating systems and installed software in Docusnap are neatly documented and, if necessary, presented in clear reports according to your requirements. In this way, the perpetrators can be quickly identified, who open the door to entire companies and organizations to bad boys on the Internet.
Identify the need
The use of documentation and inventory software does not end with the renewal or adjustment of IT. Thanks to the complete and constantly updated documentation, an IT specialist can recognize at any time where action needs to be taken. It is often not the end devices that are to blame for the rather leisurely pace of work, but perhaps an old, not particularly powerful network switch from the past millennium, which is still doing its job without complaint in a quiet closet.
The complications are manifold and all arise due to time and/or cost reasons. With the help of the KHZG and the corresponding funding, it is now possible to create a professional and lasting solution to these problems.
Create the necessary basis with Docusnap
With Docusnap, you can easily carry out a complete inventory of existing hardware. This means that not only pure IT professionals are able to obtain the necessary information, but also every employee commissioned by you. Control and monitoring tasks can thus be outsourced to different departments or people. Financial management has the option to request reports on the age and number of hardware to be replaced, and the IT department uses them to create the emergency handbook for IT. Other departments, such as building technology, obtain the necessary information via the network. And that without having to resort to the services of IT managers every time.
Above all, this solution offers an automatic update of the data, which not only keeps the inventory complete but also always up-to-date. This makes time-consuming refreshing through manual entries and new inventories unnecessary.
Conclusion
The KHZG offers hospitals the unique opportunity to fundamentally modernize their IT infrastructure and sustainably improve digital processes. The success of these measures depends largely on how well the existing IT is documented, evaluated and managed. solutions such as Docusnap create the necessary transparency here to use funding in a targeted and efficient manner — and thus form the basis for future-proof, secure and digitally connected patient care.
