What is an anamnesis?
Anamnesis is about recording a patient's medical history. Patients often take this step themselves, usually with the help of a questionnaire.
In it, they indicate which medications they are taking, whether allergies are present and which pre-existing conditions are known. Based on this, the doctor can draw important conclusions for the diagnosis.
This creates a comprehensive picture of the state of health, which can be decisive for subsequent treatment success.
That is why the anamnesis is so important
A careful anamnesis forms the basis of every physician-patient relationship. It is just as crucial for smooth practice organization as for precise diagnosis.
1. Smooth appointment organization
The patient admission provides the basis for the entire practice process. Information about pre-existing conditions or allergies often results in further investigations. If medical professionals know this information early on, they can plan appointments in a targeted manner and coordinate processes better. In this way, you avoid unnecessary waiting times and create a more efficient practice organization.
2. Targeted diagnosis and treatment
But what is even more important: Only a thorough and well-founded anamnesis ensures the best possible treatment success. A study From the 1970s, it was shown that 66 of 80 patients had a medical history alone sufficient to make the correct diagnosis. The individual medical history and living conditions of the patient are therefore often more informative than laboratory values or apparatus tests.
The anamnesis of patients takes a lot of time
The anamnesis is therefore the be-all and end-all of every treatment contact and is of great importance for the overall success of the treatment. Nevertheless, thorough patient admission costs a lot of time, which doctors and Medical professionals is barely available in Germany due to extensive bureaucratic constraints.
Doctors and MFAs have so little time to talk to patients
A study by apoBank shows that bureaucracy is the biggest nuisance for doctors. Around 90 percent of all healthcare professionals are annoyed by the enormous effort required for documentation and administration in everyday practice. Time that you would like to spend on your patients. But unfortunately that is hardly possible. Surveys have shown that a doctor-patient conversation in Germany takes around 7 minutes on average. That is far too little time for a detailed initial history.
It is time for the digital anamnesis
Anyone who wants to gain more time for patients can now rely on digital anamnesis.
Although the technical options have been available for a long time, many practices still work with paper questionnaires. These are printed out, filled out manually by the patient, then digitized and finally destroyed for data protection reasons.
This takes time, which flows better into treatment. With a digital anamnesis, printing, scanning, filing and shredding are completely unnecessary. This saves your medical staff a lot of effort, reduces stress levels and creates more space for patient care.
Digitale Solutions like Nelly make this process not only efficient but also secure. All patient data is processed in encrypted form in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In this way, the entire process remains legally compliant, transparent and reliably protected.
How to ensure that patients complete their medical history before they visit the doctor
With these 3 measures, you can ensure that patients fill out the anamnesis before the appointment:
1. Combine the digital anamnesis with the appointment booking
In many practices, appointment booking is already digital. You can start here and automatically send your patients the link to the medical history form in this step. This allows patients to fill out the form immediately after booking. This saves time in practice and ensures a smooth process on the day of treatment.
2. Remind your patients of their medical history via SMS
If a patient has missed the link after booking an appointment, you can quickly help with a short SMS reminder. Many systems, such as the one from Nelly, automatically send these messages as soon as an appointment is pending. As a result, your team does not have to intervene, and the response rate of the completed number of anamneses increases significantly.
3. Link the medical history sheet to your website
In addition, you can include the digital medical history sheet on your website. Patients who find out more about your practice, team, opening hours or treatment methods online will find the link or QR code to the form. This allows them to fill out their medical history independently and from the comfort of their own home — without any reminders from your practice team.
Practical experience: This is how doctors benefit from digital anamnesis with Nelly
Numerous practices in Germany are already successfully using Nelly: from neurology to orthodontics. The digital anamnesis is often one of the first steps towards a completely digital workflow.
The following are 3 practical examples that show how doctors are already successfully using digital anamnesis with Nelly:
Example 1: orthodontic practice in Berlin
In the BISS45 orthodontics In Berlin, all forms, explanations and cost estimates were digitized with Nelly. The digital anamnesis was an important aspect of this. The result: around 30 percent lower administrative costs, less paper and hundreds of hours of time savings per year.
Example 2: Founding of Drehbahn 7 practice in Hamburg
In the Drehbahn 7 dental practice in Hamburg The anamnesis was implemented completely digitally from the start. New patients fill out their documents online before the appointment. Documents are automatically stored and signed in accordance with the law. The team benefits from clear processes and more time for treatment.
Example 3: neurological practice in Frankfurt
Even the Neurology Galluswarte in Frankfurt shows how efficiently digital recording works. Multilingual forms and automatic data transfer avoid misunderstandings and significantly reduce bureaucratic costs.
Digital anamnesis is so easy with Nelly
With Nelly's software, you can completely digitize the anamnesis. Patient admission takes place directly via the patient's smartphone: without app installation or additional effort. Patients record all relevant data themselves and can Sign documents securely and legally.
This creates an efficient digital workflow in your practice that saves time and simplifies processes. We would be happy to advise you on the options in your practice without obligation.
Common questions
What all belongs in the anamnesis?
The anamnesis includes all information that is relevant to the diagnosis and treatment of a patient. These include current complaints, previous illnesses, surgeries, allergies, medications taken, pre-existing family conditions and lifestyle habits such as diet, exercise or smoking. The aim is to obtain a comprehensive picture of the state of health in order to be able to make targeted therapeutic decisions.
Who is allowed to carry out an anamnesis?
In principle, the anamnesis may be carried out by doctors, dentists and psychotherapists. In many practices, medical professionals (MFA) also take care of parts of the patient admission process, such as filling out the medical history form. However, the final evaluation and interpretation of the information is always the responsibility of the attending physician.
How many types of anamnesis are there?
There are several types of anamnesis, which differ according to the purpose and source of information. The most important include personal medical history (information provided by the patient himself), third-party history (information from relatives or accompanying persons), family history, professional history and social history. In modern medicine, these are often combined to obtain the most complete picture possible.
What are the benefits of a digital anamnesis and clarification?
A digital anamnesis saves time and reduces bureaucracy. Patients can easily fill out their information before the appointment, while practice staff no longer have to print, scan or file forms. All data is immediately available digitally to the doctor, making processes more efficient. In combination with digital information, declarations of consent can also be recorded in a legally compliant and secure manner — this reduces error rates and ensures transparent, GDPR-compliant processes.
Is the digital anamnesis compliant with data protection regulations?
Yes, a digital anamnesis is compliant with data protection regulations if it is carried out with a certified software solution such as Nelly. All data is processed in accordance with the requirements of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) processed and transmitted in encrypted form. Patient information remains exclusively within practice and patient communication. A digital solution therefore often offers even more security than traditional sheets of paper, which can be copied, lost or stored incorrectly.
Note: The personal names used in this article always refer equally to all persons. Dual naming and alternate names are omitted in order to improve readability.
