Background: Before the pandemic, digital health was merely a potential alternative
to established systems of health care provision in Hungary. The technology was available
but there was no governmental strategy regarding digital health use and development.
The legal framework for digital solutions in healthcare was fragmented. COVID-19 created
conditions in which digital solutions became the most feasible form of healthcare
provision. We present the legislative and policy making activities of the Hungarian
government during the pandemic aimed at enhancing the organised and systematic use
of these technologies. Methods: The core method used in our research is a review of
legislation using the principles and methods of a systematic literature review. We
searched the National Legislation Database for digital health related legislation
for the period 31 January 2020 – 1 June 2022. To provide the context for the analysis,
other relevant documents were identified through desk research. Results: Although
established in 2017, the Electronic Health Records were only widely used after the
onset of the pandemic. Hungary used temporary state of emergency regulations to facilitate
an increase in the number of teleconsultations. Our search identified 7 pieces of
legislation that enabled health care providers to put digital solutions to instant
use. They defined the conditions health care providers must meet for teleconsultations,
set what interventions may be done, what can be reimbursed and dealt with security
issues. The National Health Informatics Strategy of July 2021 is complex but mainly
deals with technical issues. The three basic principles of the strategy are people
centeredness, digital transformation and integrated care. Conclusion: Hungarian digital
health solutions and policies fare well in international comparison. This is due to
the intensive legislative activity of the pandemic period. The National Health Informatics
Strategy ensures that the digital health solutions implemented during the pandemic
outlive COVID-19.
