If you live in Czechia and sometimes struggle to keep track of medical check-ups, a new update to the government’s English-language EZKarta mobile app could make healthcare easier to access.
As of Friday last week, the app now includes a “My Health” section where you can see information about preventive check-ups and completed screening programs. Beginning in September, the app will know when you are eligible for examinations and will remind you to see a doctor, according to the Ministry of Health in a press release.
Patients will be able to access information on screenings for breast cancer, prostate cancer, and, newly, abdominal aortic aneurysms. “You should find a network of centers in the app, all the rules, and where to turn in case of problems,” said Ladislav Dušek, director of the Institute of Health Information and Statistics.
Better prescription access and document sharing
By the end of this year, EZKarta is set to connect with the electronic prescription system. Over the next year, you will also be able to see a map of healthcare providers with information on their capacity, share medical documentation, and use electronic request forms.
According to Health Minister Vlastimil Válek, unification will “allow for a better overview of waiting times and the setting of minimum requirements for what a doctor should fill out in the request form.”
For those without EZKarta, the National e-Healthcare Portal will provide access to the same services. Paper forms will remain available.
Easier to make, remember appointments
“Many patients who go for preventive check-ups describe that it is not always easy to make an appointment for a check-up, and when they do make an appointment, they often forget the date,” Marek Svoboda, director of the Masaryk Oncology Institute, told Czech media outlet Novinky.cz. The new update should make the process easier.
“After a long time, coverage of the main screening programs is starting to increase,” Dušek noted, pointing out that six in 10 people attended preventive check-ups last year.
EZKarta, which succeeded the Covid-era Tečka app, is already used by around 4 million people. Since its 2023 transformation, it has functioned as a digital vaccination card. You can also add close family members, such as children or parents.
Currently, the app displays vaccination records from 2010 onward. It even includes checks on whether a patient is restricted from holding a weapon or driving.