New regulations taking effect April 17th will digitize workplace medical examinations in Poland, enhancing data access and privacy for employees.
Changes to Medical Examination Procedures
Poland is advancing the digitization of healthcare with changes to regulations concerning occupational medicine examinations. These changes introduce electronic medical certificates and expand the information available to patients.
The new regulations aim to streamline document flow, increase access to medical data, and clearly separate information sent to employers from that intended solely for the employee.
Part of National Recovery Plan
The amendment to the regulations is part of the implementation of investment D1.1.2 of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which aims to accelerate the digital transformation of the healthcare system.
A key change is the introduction of the mandatory option to prepare medical certificates in electronic form.
Electronic Records and Patient Access
These documents will be stored in the Medical Information System and then automatically made available to the patient via the Internet Patient Account (IKP). This means employees will no longer have to store paper certificates or deliver them in person – access will be available online at any time.
Alignment with Digital Public Services
This solution aligns with the broader trend of digitizing public services in Poland, similar to the previous implementation of e-prescriptions and e-referrals. The Ministry of Health has been developing digital infrastructure for several years, and IKP has become a central tool for communication between the patient and the healthcare system.
Data Scope and Document Formats
The new regulations precisely define what information will be included in the medical certificate. The possibility of using the document form in paper form has also been retained – in situations where the electronic form is not available or preferred by the patient.
New templates for medical certificates have also been introduced, specified in the attachments to the amended regulation. The changes also cover regulations regarding the seal of an occupational medicine physician – its use remains required only for paper documents.
Improved Data Processing and Prevention
The standardization of the data scope will facilitate easier information processing and its use in other areas of the healthcare system, which is important for prevention and monitoring the health of employees.
Employee Access to Health Data and Prevention
One of the important elements of the new regulations is the expansion of the role of medical certificates beyond their current, purely formal character. Information contained in documents available in IKP will also be used in the context of health prevention.
This will give the employee a fuller insight into their health, and doctors – access to data that may be helpful in planning further treatment or preventive measures. This is a qualitative change that fits in with the growing emphasis on preventive medicine.
Proactive Health Monitoring
In practice, this means that the results of preventive examinations will no longer be merely a formality required by the employer, but will become an element of a broader system of monitoring citizens’ health.
Health Recommendations Separate from Employer
The amendment also introduces a clear distinction between information transmitted to the employer and that which remains exclusively at the employee’s disposal. The occupational medicine physician will be able to formulate additional health recommendations, which will be recorded in a separate document.
These recommendations will be prepared in the same form as the certificate – electronic or paper – and made available to the employee, e.g. via the Internet Patient Account. However, they will not be forwarded to the employer.
This solution is crucial from the point of view of protecting privacy. The employer will only receive information necessary to assess the employee’s ability to perform work, while details regarding health status and medical recommendations will remain confidential.
Document Circulation and Employer Relationship
Despite the digitization of the system, the obligation to forward the medical certificate to the employer has been maintained. The document – regardless of form – will be sent to the entity that issued the referral for preventive examinations.
The method and timing of forwarding the certificate will be specified in the agreement between the parties. In practice, this means that companies will be able to adapt the document flow process to their own needs, while maintaining the new digital standards.
At the same time, the legislator has left the possibility of printing the certificate at the employee’s request. In the case of preparing the document in paper form, it will be forwarded directly to the person examined.
