How Czechia's new Patient Portal aims to make accessing healthcare simpler

Accessing healthcare in Czechia will soon get simpler and less cluttered. Starting in 2026, more patients in Czechia visiting hospitals will receive their medical records digitally instead of on paper via a new mobile app called Patient Portal (Portál pacienta). The currently existing EZ Karta app—available to foreigners—will also soon feature a comprehensive map of doctors' offices.

"From January 2026, the discharge report will be created in a standardized, digital form in all hospitals," said Petr Foltýn, director of the National Center for Healthcare Electronic Information, in an interview with Czech media outlet Novinky.cz.

"If the hospital is connected to an information exchange network, which is almost certain for larger facilities, patients will receive the report in their EZ Karta, from where it can be sent in PDF format to an email or another platform,” Foltýn said.

Paper reports will remain an option, but the long-term goal is to reduce the reliance on physical records, which often include CDs or DVDs with X-rays and other images. The transition follows similar digital shifts in the healthcare system, such as the adoption of e-prescriptions.

Beyond discharge reports, the Ministry of Health is working on a broader electronic healthcare ecosystem. Electronic requests for laboratory and imaging tests have been in a pilot phase since last year and are expected to expand. Patients will receive a QR code that specialists can scan to access test requests, simplifying the process.

The Ministry also plans to launch the Patient Portal and Doctor Portal this year, inspired by the existing Citizen Portal, which provides access to official records such as trade licenses and driving penalty points. The Patient Portal will serve as a centralized hub for medical records, including hospitalizations, vaccinations, and preventive check-ups. There is currently no official information on whether it will be able to foreigners.

The national mobile application EZ Karta, formerly known as Tečka, will be enhanced with additional functionalities. In March, the app will introduce a "Map of Healthcare Providers," displaying hospitals and clinics with essential details. Later, it will begin to include vaccination records and preventive check-up data.

"We are carefully working to ensure that, in addition to vaccinations, the app will eventually display data on preventive check-ups with a general practitioner and, in the future, hospitalization records," said Foltýn.

Currently, EZ Karta contains vaccination summaries dating back to 2010 and historical records of Covid-19 tests, provided they were reported to health insurers.

While development is progressing, legislative hurdles remain. The law enabling the full digitalization of healthcare is still under review in the Chamber of Deputies, and without its approval, key advancements could stall. Additionally, future funding for these digital initiatives is uncertain, as they have so far relied on European subsidies.