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Electronic Health Professional Card (eHPC)

Signature and authentication in digital healthcare

Pictogram of Telematics infrastructure

The electronic Health Professional Card (eHPC) is a personalized smart card that can be used in the telematics infrastructure as ID for healthcare professionals. The eHPC enhances data security and privacy in the digital health network. Doctors and dentists, psychotherapists or pharmacists can obtain the eHPC from their respective federal state chambers and gematik GmbH for mail-order pharmacies. 

The electronic health profession register (eGBR) will issue on behalf of the federal states electronic health professional cards to unlicensed providers of medically prescribed services who do not have a chamber of their own to issue such cards. Currently, members of the professional groups physiotherapy, midwifery and obstetrics, nursing professionals and emergency paramedics can order the eHPC.

Pictogram for Doctor

Don’t miss the deadlines – Order your eHPC now

 

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Since 1 July 2021 at the latest, doctors, psychotherapists and dentists have required an electronic health professional card to access the TI, because since then service providers have been required to keep electronic patient files. In 2022, the electronic certificate of incapacity to work (eAU) and the e-prescription were also introduced on a mandatory basis – an eHPC is required for both applications.

WHAT? WHO? WHEN? eHBA
Electronic certificate of incapacity for work (eAU), transmitted to health insurance companies Physicians, dentists, psychotherapists as of July 2022 eHBA for qualified signature of the eAU and electronic transmission via KIM (communication in healthcare)
Electronic request and approval process (EBZ) Dentists as of July 2022 eHBA for electronic transmission of treatment plans via KIM
eRezept (electronic Rx) mandatory Chemist owners, permanently employed chemists, chemist assistant, pharmacy technicians as of September 2022 eHBA for accepting and correcting the prescription of the eRezept

Our Step-by-step Guide explains which documents and information you need to apply for your card.

Your advantages at a glance

  • Secure access to the telematics infrastructure and the electronic health card

  • Write access to TI applications

  • Qualified electronic signature 

  • Encryption of medical data

  • gematik-certified solution

  • Future-proof with the latest G 2.1 card generation

Product details

The eHPC enables legally binding signatures and authentication in the telematics infrastructure.

The electronic Health Professional Card (eHPC) unambiguously identifies the holder as a member of the relevant medical profession and offers secure access to the telematics infrastructure and the electronic health card. With the introduction of the telematics infrastructure (TI), paper-based processes will increasingly make way for digital processes. The eHPC is required in order to create legally secure electronic signatures which are mandatory for certain medical applications (e.g. electronic doctor’s letters, digital lab referrals).

The electronic health professional card (eHPC) will become an essential instrument for staff in the health sector because it provides the following security-relevant functions

Doctors, dentists, psychotherapists and pharmacists can use the eHPC as a means of identity in the digital world of the healthcare sector. The card provides access to specially protected areas, such as the TI as well as portals provided by the medical chambers or statutory health insurance associations. eHPC holders can authenticate themselves online with the card.

Using the eHPC, holders can generate an electronic signature (qualified electronic signature – QES), for instance, in order to digitally sign an electronic doctor's letter. This signature is legally equivalent to the hand-written signature. 

The eHPC can be used to send encrypted medical data that can be decrypted on receipt. In this way, the eHPC allows medical professionals to securely exchange electronic data among each other or with hospitals and health insurance companies. This boosts the level of privacy when personal medical data is transmitted.

The eHPC can be used to access patient data stored on the electronic health card.

The eHPC for doctors, dentists, psychotherapists, pharmacists is issued by their respective federal state medical chamber and gematik GmbH for mail-order pharmacies. The chamber for other pharmacy professions is gematik GmbH. For unlicensed health professions, the electronic health professional register (eGBR) assumes the role of chamber. The application process differs in certain aspects depending on the sector. However, the health professional card is generally ordered directly from D-Trust. Please note that the ordering process varies depending on the chamber and sector. In some cases when applying for an eHPC, the applicant must first register with the portal of the respective chamber in order to receive a reference number. The ordering process for an eHPC includes the identification of the applicant. D-Trust offers its customers online identification with the online ID function eID, which allows you to conveniently verify your identify from home with your ID card.

You can find out where to start with your application and whether your chamber assigns a reference number or if you can apply directly to trust service provider D-Trust in our Overview of processes for ordering the eHPC from the respective chambers.

eHPC add-on: online signatures with sign-me eHealth

In addition to the electronic health professional card, the remotely triggered qualified signature with sign-me eHealth can be used outside the telematics infrastructure to sign electronic documents in the healthcare sector, e.g. health insurance accounts and prescriptions. No matter where, the signature can be conveniently used via the web browser, irrespective of hardware or software. There are also plans to integrate this into customary IT systems in medical practices. sign‑me eHealth has also been used up to now outside the telematics infrastructure using secure two-factor authentication (with SMS-TAN or biometric), it complies with the eIDAS Regulation and can therefore be used throughout the EU in a manner recognised by law. The application process is simple and possible without any additional identification if consent to this is granted when ordering the eHPC.

In order to spare you double trips, when you order the eHPC, you can consent to D‑Trust also using the identification carried out for the eHPC to create a qualified certificate for the sign‑me remote signature. All you need to do in this case is to tick the box entitled ‘Consent to use identification ....’ in D‑Trust’s application portal. There are no extra costs or obligations involved.

sign-me eHealth enables all those employed in the healthcare sector to sign documents online outside the telematics infrastructure – irrespective of whether or not they have an electronic health professional card (eHPC).

Downloads

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Infographic telematics infrastructure

Frequently Asked Questions

The eHPC for doctors, dentists, psychotherapists, pharmacists is issued by their respective federal state medical chamber and gematik GmbH for mail-order pharmacies. The chamber for other pharmacy professions is gematik GmbH. For unlicensed health professions, the electronic health professional register (eGBR) assumes the role of chamber.

D‑Trust GmbH, a Bundesdruckerei company, produces the eHPC.

The main difference between the two card types is the encryption method used. Generation G 2.1 cards also use the more advanced ECC (Elliptic Curve Cryptography) encryption method.

G 2.0

According to gematik specifications for online productive operation (Level 1) – OPB1 Release 1.6.4/Product Type Version 4.4.0-2

Certificates on the eHPC:

  • X.509 nonQES (for authentication and encryption)
  • X.509 QES (for signing)
  • CV certificate 1 (for access to electronic health card (eGK) G1 plus)
  • CV certificate 2 (for access to eGK G2)

Device certificate (for device authentication)

The eHPC G 2.0 is basically a single signature card. Within the TI, however, the eHPC G 2.0 will be mass-signature enabled – provided that it is used together with an eHealth-enabled connector. This combination enables signing with up to 250 signatures with just a single PIN entry. Outside the TI, the eHPC G 2.0 acts like a single signature card.

G 2.1

According to gematik specifications for online productive operation gemProdT_HBA_ObjSys_G2_1_PTV_4.7.1-0

Certificates on the eHPC:

  • RSA and ECC X.509 nonQES (for authentication and encryption)
  • RSA and ECC X.509 QES (for signing)
  • CV certificate 1 (for access to electronic health card (eGK) G1 plus)
  • CV certificate 2 (for access to eGK G2)

Device certificate (for device authentication)

The G 2.1 (IDEMIA_HC_Germany_NEO_G2.1_HBA, V1) generation eHPC has the functionality of a mass-signature card. Up to 250 signatures can be created with a single PIN entry both inside and outside the TI.

Yes, under the financing agreement with the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV-Spitzenverband), funding is available when purchasing an electronic health professional card. The funding amount depends on the sector. For detailed information, please contact the chamber responsible for you.

For doctors, dentists and psychotherapists:

  • eHPC application
    Since the electronic health professional card is issued by the federal state chambers for doctors, dentists and psychotherapists, the eHPC must first be applied for there. For more information, please contact your chamber. Alternatively, you can use the D‑Trust Application Portal https://ehealth.d-trust.net/antragsportal/. After selecting the chamber responsible for you, you will be forwarded to the correct office.
    Once your application has been approved, the chamber will send you a transaction number which you can use to order the electronic health professional card from D‑Trust
  • Online application with D‑Trust at: https://ehealth.d-trust.net/antragsportal/
    You can now enter this transaction number in the Application Portal. You will then receive a prefilled application, including a form for identification using the Post‑Ident service, which you will have to complete, print out and return by post.
  • Identification
    Since the eHPC is a high-quality personal photo ID card, secure identification is mandatory and you will need the forms that you received together with the application documents.
  • Production of the eHPC
    Following identification and confirmation by the chamber, the electronic Health Professional Card will be produced. The card will be sent to the applicant by registered letter the following day. The required PIN and PUK will also be sent separately three days before or after. Please note that you must unlock the card in the application portal in order to use it.  The card must also be activated for use in the telematics infrastructure. You can download detailed instructions for activation and unlocking in the FAQ section.

For pharmacists:

  • Administrative act by the state chambers of pharmacists
    As a first step, you must submit your application for issuance of a pharmacist’s card to your state chamber of pharmacists. Alternatively, you can use our portal: https://ehealth.d-trust.net/antragsportal/. After selecting the chamber responsible for you, you will be directed to the correct office. Your application will first be received and the so-called administrative act will be triggered during which a check will be carried out to ascertain whether all the preconditions are met. A transaction number will also be assigned. The administrative act is completed when the application is approved.
  • Online application with D‑Trust at: https://ehealth.d-trust.net/antragsportal/
    You can now enter the transaction number assigned by the chamber of pharmacists in the Application Portal. You will then receive a prefilled application, including a form for identification using the Post‑Ident service, which you will have to complete, print out and return by post.
  • Identification
    Since the pharmacist’s card is a high-quality personal photo ID card, secure identification is mandatory and you will need the forms that you received together with the application documents.
  • Production of the pharmacist’s card
    Following identification and confirmation by the chamber, the pharmacist’s card will be produced. The card will be sent to the pharmacists by registered letter the following day. The required PIN and PUK will also be sent separately three days before or after. Please note that you must unlock the card in the application portal in order to use it.  The card must also be activated for use in the telematics infrastructure. You can download detailed instructions for activation and unlocking in the FAQ section.

The electronic health professional card can be directly ordered on the D‑Trust Application Portal: https://ehealth.d-trust.net/antragsportal.

ID photo (not for the eGBR – unlicensed health professions)

Since the eHPC is a high-quality photo ID card, you must also be clearly recognizable in the photo. Please ensure that your face/head is in the centre of the photo. The size of the file may not exceed 12 MB. The following file formats are accepted: JPG, JPEG, PNG and GIF

During the application process, you can also optimize the photo after you have uploaded it. This function allows you to select an area of the photo, rotate the image and choose a contrast version.

Please note that the ID card is produced as you see it in the application portal. Once the application process has been completed, no changes may be made to the photo for technical reasons. Further information can be found in the detailed cross-sectoral step-by-step Guide to applying for the eHPC

Optional order code:

Entering the order code is optional and intended for customers who have been referred to D‑Trust by partners.

Your eHPC will be sent in a registered letter (personal delivery) to the delivery address provided by you. Please note that you as the requester must accept the registered letter in person. Otherwise, you can also issue a power of attorney so that someone else can accept your electronic health professional card, or use the power of attorney from Deutsche Post. More information on the power of attorney from Deutsche Post can be found in our download section.

You will receive the PIN letter three days following dispatch of the eHPC. This letter will be sent by post to the delivery address which you provided.

Delivery of the electronic Health Professional Card currently takes around four weeks from the time D‑Trust receives the complete documents. For an order to be complete, identification must have been successfully completed, the complete documents (signed request) submitted and the respective medical association must have issued its approval to D‑Trust.

Please note that due to the current high volume of orders delivery may take longer and we would like to apologise for any delay you may experience. 

  • Identification services by Deutsche Post: This method requires that you have to identify yourself at a post office of the Deutsche Post after you have submitted your application.

  • PoS-Ident service by qualified staff trust service provider D-Trust and its partners (such as CGM): Identification is carried out at your location or at a central event. All you need is your complete application documents as well as the valid ID documents listed in your application documents. Advantage: You are identified directly on site and do not have to go to a post office.

Please make sure that you use the same ID document for identification as the one stated in your application and that you also enter the information precisely as it is shown in your ID document. If you use your passport, please note that you will also be required to bring your registration certificate for identification purposes because your registered address will be checked and this is not recorded in your passport. 

The application process is completed once you have been identified and all of the application documents signed by you have been sent to D‑Trust GmbH. As soon as D‑Trust receives this information, approval will be requested from the chamber responsible for you.

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Do you have any other questions about the eHBA?

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