Bavaria - motor and partner for advanced health services.

What has long since been everyday practice in consumer electronics, office communications and in the private sector, meaning the use of information and communications technologies and the Internet, is still not routine procedure for public health services. The State of Bavaria was very quick to recognize the importance of telematics in public health for better health care and for Bavaria as an economy location. Ever since 1995, we have been promoting innovative and forward-looking pilot projects in the field of telemedicine to ensure that all patients - in a state like Bavaria - can have state-wide access to a wide range of telemedical applications. While innovative IT applications that network doctors in private practice, patients and clinics and hence reduce friction losses at the interfaces of the classic sectors - in-patient treatment, out-patient care as well as rehabilitation and nursing care - are gaining ground in the health market, there is still much to be done to bring our public health system up to the latest IT state of the art. A key factor on the road towards digital medical care will be the introduction of the electronic health card in Germany. It is expected in 2008.