Polish doctors are raising concerns that a new electronic Cardiac Care Card (e-KOK) will overburden medical staff with excessive data entry requirements.
New Cardiac Care E-Card Under Development
The Ministry of Health has released a draft regulation detailing the data requirements for the electronic Cardiac Care Card (e-KOK). While intended to improve treatment quality and monitoring, physicians warn the extensive manual data input will overwhelm personnel.
The National Cardiac Network (KSK) Act, effective July 2, 2025, aims to create a cohesive system for cardiac patient care, with the e-KOK as a key component. Currently, the government lacks the ability to analyze cardiac treatment data effectively from the National Health Fund or existing medical registries.
Extensive Data Requirements
The scope of information for the e-KOK was developed by a team appointed by the Minister of Health’s Plenipotentiary for the National Cardiovascular Disease Program. The goal was a comprehensive, yet feasible, dataset.
However, the published draft regulation reveals a remarkably extensive form, covering areas from lifestyle habits to social support.
What the E-KOK Will Include
The e-KOK will collect detailed data throughout the diagnostic and therapeutic process. This includes referral details, comprehensive cardiac diagnostics (risk factors like addictions, obesity, stress, sleep problems, and diet), clinical data, and a comprehensive list of co-existing conditions according to ICD classification.
Staff will be required to record test results, a complete list of prescribed medications with dosages, and precise dates of procedures. The card will also include quality of care indicators, hospitalization dates, rehabilitation referrals, stroke risk calculations (CHA2DS2-VA scale), and information on patient enrollment in the KOS-myocardial infarction program. It will also contain a treatment plan, follow-up schedule, and assessment of the patient’s emotional state, daily activity capacity, and social support.
Criticism from Medical Community
The broad scope of required information has drawn criticism. The Presidium of the Supreme Medical Council (NRL) believes the data volume and the mandatory real-time entry requirement will place a significant burden on medical personnel.
The medical self-government is appealing for a serious reconsideration of the scope of reported information, and for the implementation of IT tools to automatically populate parts of the e-KOK, reducing the bureaucratic workload for doctors.
Concerns About Specific Data Points
The NRL also points out inconsistencies in the regulation’s appendix. For example, participation in preventative programs is treated as a risk factor, when the Council believes it should be categorized as clinical data.
Particular objections and concerns about redundancy relate to the section on cardiac care quality indicators. The draft requires doctors to enter the full address of the procedure location or specialist consultation – including city, municipality, postal code, street, and building/apartment number. The NRL Presidium considers this requirement unnecessary, given that the e-KOK will also require the medical facility’s NIP/REGON number and registry number, which already uniquely identifies the entity.