Cost-benefit analysis of a new health insurance card and electronic prescription in Germany.

A new (electronic) health insurance card for Germans could eliminate errors in documenting exemption from charges. Electronic prescribing, if introduced nationally, would lead to improved medication-related information and the availability of structural and control data. An analytical model for Germany has shown that DM1 billion would be saved from improved prescription information simply in terms of the number of avoided hospital stays now paid for by the health-care system. However, the distribution of costs and benefits among the participants in health-care would be very uneven. For example, doctors would have the largest investment and operating costs, but would enjoy only marginal savings (less than 2% of investment).