General information about the EPR
You can find more information about linking VacMe to the electronic patient record (EPR) here.
The EPR lets you manage all relevant documents about your health and makes them available to your health professionals in accordance with your needs. This makes it easier to exchange information among the various contacts, improves medical treatment and boosts efficiency. Set up your EPR and authorise your health professionals still today.
The Federal Act on the Electronic Patient Record (EPRA) has strict requirements for data protection and data security. The EPR from Post Sanela Health Ltd meets all these requirements. All data is stored in Switzerland. The EPR also precisely tracks who accesses which documents.
Anyone who is a resident of Switzerland can set up an EPR. Despite the “patient record” name, you don’t have to be ill to set up an EPR. A healthy person can also have an EPR. The EPR is voluntary and can be closed at any time.
The EPR is mandatory for the following institutions offering inpatient treatment: acute-care hospitals, rehab clinics, psychiatric clinics, nursing homes and birthing centres, as well as medical practices newly licensed as of 2022.
Persons and organisations not involved in your treatment do not have access to the EPR. Employers, health insurers, supplementary insurers and life insurers are therefore excluded. Even medical examiners of health insurers have no access to your EPR documents.
Patientrecord.ch – the official information platform of eHealth Suisse, the federal government and the cantons – provides further information about the EPR.
Patientinnen und Patienten haben ein Anrecht darauf, zu erfahren, welche Daten über sie im elektronischen Patientendossier der Sanela-Stammgemeinschaft bearbeitet werden.
Dies umfasst einerseits die Daten des elektronischen Patientendossiers einer Patientin oder eines Patienten sowie weitere Daten, die im Rahmen des Systembetriebs bei der Post, bei der Kontaktstelle für Patientinnen und Patienten sowie bei weiteren Dritten bearbeitet werden.
Daten des EPD einer Patientin oder eines Patienten, sofern das EPD aktiv ist, können über das Patientenportal bezogen bzw. eingesehen werden. Die Auskunft über weitere Daten im Zusammenhang mit dem EPD kann per schriftlichem Antrag an die Post Sanela Health AG verlangt werden.
Für Auskünfte zur Datenbearbeitung wenden Sie sich bitte an:
Post Sanela Health AG
Attn: Datenschutzverantwortlicher
Pfingstweidstrasse 60b
8005 Zürich
Setting up an EPR
Swiss Post’s digital EPR self-onboarding service is available throughout Switzerland and is meant for people over the age of 18. On the other hand, you can set up your EPR at an opening centre.
The EPR is free of charge for Swiss nationals. The federal government, cantons and healthcare institutions cover the cost of operating and maintaining the EPR. The digital EPR self-onboarding service is available free of charge in the cantons that have such an agreement with Post Sanela Health Ltd:
- Basel-Landschaft
- Basel-Stadt
- Bern
- Lucerne
- Nidwalden
- Obwalden
- Schaffhausen
- Schwyz
- Solothurn
- St. Gallen
- Zug
- Zurich
The EPR can be set up with the digital EPR self-onboarding service for CHF 15 in cantons without an agreement, in which case the applicant must cover the cost.
The following cantons have an agreement with Post Sanela Health Ltd and provide the digital EPR self-onboarding service to their legal residents free of charge:
- Basel-Landschaft
- Basel-Stadt
- Bern
- Lucerne
- Nidwalden
- Obwalden
- Schaffhausen
- Schwyz
- Solothurn
- St. Gallen
- Zug
- Zurich
The EPR can be set up with the digital EPR self-onboarding service for CHF 15 in cantons without an agreement, in which case the following payment options apply:
- Twint
- Debit/credit card (Visa, Mastercard)
- PostFinance card
You can apply for your EPR at an opening centre. Please note that in this case you will also need an eID, a valid mobile phone number and an email address. To manage your EPR, you also need internet access.
People under the age of 18 and people lacking capacity can have the EPR opened by a legal representative such as their parents.
Currently, only people who are of age can personally set up an EPR using the digital self-onboarding service. Anyone younger than 18 or who or who is incapable of judgement can have the EPR set up in an EPR opening centre through a legal representative such as their parents. In future, it should also be possible for such a representative to use the digital EPR self-onboarding service.
- You must be at least 18 years of age.
- You may not already have an EPR.
- You need a stable internet connection (e.g. WLAN or 3G).
- You need a smartphone.
- You need an iPhone 7 with iOS 15 and Touch/IDFaceID or
- an Android device with at least OS 10 (Oreo) and NFC capability and fingerprint.
- You need at least 4 GB of RAM, 4 processor cores and a camera with 16 MP (360 MB of RAM must be available while using the app).
- You need access to your email account.
- You need a biometric passport or ID card (Switzerland or EU/EEA; except: German ID card), if you identify yourself with an ID card, it will be checked manually.
- You must have your login details for SwissSign’s SwissID, or you can create a SwissID account during onboarding.
- The SwissID app must be installed on your smartphone, or you will be asked to install it during onboarding.
- We recommend that you start the process on your computer. However, you can also carry out all the steps on your smartphone.
If you have all the necessary documents, it takes 20 to 30 minutes to complete the EPR set-up digitally. You have to allow a little more time if you still need to download the SwissID app (free of charge), create a SwissID or include identification and signature in your existing SwissID. Please also note: Any ID card you use will be checked manually, and you will be notified as soon as you can continue with the digital EPR set-up.
- You must meet the requirements and have all the necessary information on hand.
- You start the digital EPR self-onboarding process and choose your canton. If you live in a canton without an agreement, setting up the EPR with the digital EPR self-onboarding service costs CHF15.
- You will be redirected to the SwissID website. If you have an existing SwissID account (e.g. for logging in to Swiss Post), you must first log in. Otherwise, you will be asked to create an account. For security reasons, two-factor authentication is required.
- If your SwissID account does not yet have a verified EPR-compliant electronic identity and digital signature, you will be asked to add these features to your account. For this, open the camera on your cell phone, scan the QR code and follow the further instructions. Important: Make a note of the recovery code for your SwissID and keep it in a safe place.
- You then return to the Sanela website and complete the declaration of consent, which is then sent to SwissID app to be signed.
- You sign the declaration of consent digitally in the SwissID app and can then download the signed version from the Sanela website. If the digital EPR self-onboarding service is not available for free in your canton, you will now be forwarded to the payment window. Please follow the instructions there.
- Your single-use login details (username and password) for the EPR are sent by email and SMS. Follow the link in the email and select “Username and password” to log in to your EPR for the first time. Then enter your login data for the SwissID to link the EPR with the SwissID.
- Your EPR is now available. You can now independently upload documents, manage access and ask your health professionals to store important documents there. The initially empty EPR will thus gradually fill up.
You can find a lot of information and answers in our FAQ. If your problem persists, please contact our support team:
For questions about SwissID/SwissSign (SwissID app, identity check, signature service):
Email: support@swissid.ch
Phone: 0848 99 88 00 (Mon.–Fri., 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
Other questions about opening an account online:
Email: support.sanela@post.ch
Please describe your problem in as much detail as possible.
You will need either
- an iPhone 7 with iOS 15 and TouchID/FaceID or
- an Android device with operating system 10 (Oreo) and
- 4GB RAM, 4 processor cores and a camera with 16MP, fingerprint and NFC function
Older devices do not meet the technical requirements. Operating systems other than Apple iOS and Android are not used to a sufficient degree in Switzerland and are unfortunately therefore not currently supported.
You can apply for your EPR at an opening centre. Please note that in this case you will also need an eID, a valid mobile phone number and an email address. To manage your EPR, you also need internet access.
The Federal Act on the Electronic Patient Record (EPRA) stipulates that all persons who wish to access an EPR must have an EPR-compliant electronic identity. The SwissID of the Swiss Post Group company SwissSign is a proven and secure method for verifying digital identity and complies with the EPRA.
The digital EPR self-onboarding service only works with the SwissID. If you apply for your EPR in an EPR opening centre, you also need an eID – in addition to the SwissID, another eID can also be used here.
The easiest way to prove your identify is with a biometric passport. Identification with a Swiss or EU/EEA identity card is also possible (complete list from SwissSign, without German identity card). Any ID card you use will be checked manually, and you will be notified as soon as you can continue with the digital EPR set-up.
Please refer to the SwissID website for more information about creating and setting up a SwissID account, identity verification and the signature service.
The following documents are accepted as means of identification for opening an EPR:
- Means of identification of an issuer certified in accordance with Article 31 EPDV
- Qualified electronic signature in accordance with the Federal Act of March 18, 201627 on Certification Services in the Field of Electronic Signatures and Other Applications of Digital Certificates
- Swiss passport or Swiss identity card
- Expired Swiss passport or expired Swiss identity card in combination with other documents or by means of a declaration of identification by relatives or by an authority
- L permit for persons with a short-term residence permit
- B permit for persons with a residence permit
- Permit C for persons with a permanent residence permit
- Permit G for cross-border commuters
- Permit N or a confirmation that the person concerned is authorised to stay in Switzerland
For asylum seekers:
- F permit for temporarily admitted persons
- S permit or confirmation that the person concerned is authorised to stay in Switzerland
For persons in need of protection:
- Identity card or Ci permit, for persons with privileges, immunities or facilities; or
- Identity card authorising entry into Switzerland, provided the holder can prove that he or she lives in the same household as a person with a legitimation card
Patients up to the age of twelve can also be identified using the following documents:
- Health insurance card from a Swiss health insurance company; and
- Birth certificate or other documents suitable for identification purposes
Using the EPR
Please follow these steps when accessing your EPR for the first time:
- Open the start page of the EPR portal or follow the link you received by email from Post Sanela Health Ltd.
- Enter your single-use login details (the username and password you received by email and SMS) in the “User name and password” field.
- Link your SwissID to your EPR by selecting “SwissID” in the next step and logging in with your SwissID.
From now on, you can access the EPR at any time with your SwissID. For this, go to the “SwissID” field on the EPR homepage and enter the respective login details.
Please contact Sanela Customer Service:
Email: info@post-sanela.ch
Phone: +41 (0)44 272 08 08
Available (except public holidays):
Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
The initial access data is valid for 30 days. Please apply for the EPR as soon as you receive your access data.
Please contact the customer service of the identity issuer:
SwissID: SwissID customer service
TrustID: TrustID customer service or TrustID support
Your EPR contains all the documents that are important for your treatments. Your health professionals, as well as you yourself, can upload documents to your EPR. This includes, for example, your emergency data, your organ donor card, your living will or your vaccination card.
Yes, you can.
If you do not yet have a living will, the following links can help:
As soon as you have a living will, you can upload it to your EPR.
Yes, you can.
Please fill in the emergency data form and upload it to your EPR under the “Emergency data” heading.
You can choose from three confidentiality levels for your documents at any time and thus determine who can view which document:
- Confidentiality level – normal access
Newly entered medical information is usually automatically assigned to the “normal access” confidentiality level. This means that all health professionals to whom you have granted access rights can view these documents.
- Confidentiality level – restricted access
You can also choose the “restricted access” confidentiality level. This means that only healthcare professionals with “extended access rights” can access your medical data.
- Confidentiality level – secret
You can also choose the “secret” confidentiality level, which prevents health professionals from accessing any of your medical data. This means only you can view the information in your EPR.
Health professionals also can assign newly entered medical data to the “restricted access” confidentiality level. However, no third party can override a level that you have personally assigned.
More information about confidentiality levels.
If you have agreed to setting up an EPR, it is assumed that you generally want health professionals to enter information in the EPR. However, you can request a “situational exclusion” at any time. This means that no documents are uploaded to your EPR during a particular treatment. However, you must explicitly inform the health professional treating you that you do not wish to have the documents uploaded to your EPR.
You can also delete documents at any time, even ones that health professional have uploaded.
You can delete documents from your EPR at any time. However, healthcare professionals cannot delete documents from your EPR.
You can find video instructions on how to delete documents on the following page.
If you have any further questions or need support, please do not hesitate to contact us:
Phone: 0800 55 88 02
Email: support.sanela@post.ch
You decide which documents in your EPR are accessible to health professionals. You can also specify whether and for how long a health professional or a group of healthcare professionals can access your EPR. The following access rights can be granted in the “Access rights” tile: “Normal access right” and “Extended access right”:
“Normal access right”:
A normal access right allows a health professional to view all of your “Normal access” documents.
“Extended access right”:
An extended access right also allows a health professional to access your documents at the “Restricted access” confidentiality level.
You can also fully exclude health professionals by entering them on an exclusion list. Furthermore, you can grant access rights for a certain period, or revoke them at any time. For groups, a restricted period is mandatory.
Assistants assigned to a particular health professional can access the medical data of that health professional by using the same access rights as those of that person.
No, you can also grant access rights in the EPR to a group of health professionals or a healthcare institution. However, these access rights must be limited in time (access for a maximum of 2 years). However, the access right for a group of health professionals or a healthcare institution can be reissued after the time limit has expired.
A group is, for example, a department in a hospital or a group practice, a pharmacy or a Spitex unit.
If a health professional joins a group or a healthcare institution, this person automatically receives the group's access rights. If a health professional leaves the group, access rights are withdrawn again.
However, you can also exclude individual health professionals from access in principle, meaning that this person will not have access to your EPR via a group or healthcare institution.
If you don't want to manage your EPR yourself or share management of your EPR with someone you trust, you can appoint and set up an EPR deputy. This means this person will have separate login details for your EPR and the same rights and possibilities for managing your EPR as you.
An EPR deputy is a person of trust whom you give access to your EPR and who on your behalf will help you to manage some or all matters relating to your EPR based on your needs.
The EPR deputy can be someone close to you personally, such as your daughter, father or partner. A health professional such as your medical examiner or a nurse can also assume the EPR deputy function.
You are free to choose your EPR deputy or deputies. The deputy can be someone close to you personally, such as your daughter, father or partner. A health professional such as your medical examiner or a nurse can also assume the EPR deputy function.
To set up an EPR deputy, please proceed as follows:
- Complete this form together with the EPR deputy. You can find the information brochure about this here.
- Send the completed form together with the enclosures (copies of identity documents) to: Post Sanela Health Ltd, Pfingstweidstrasse 60b, 8005 Zurich
- Central Services will check your documents and set up the EPR deputy.
- You will see the EPR deputy set up in your EPR within one week.
Important information:
An EPR deputy does not necessarily have to have their own EPR but must have an EPR-enabled electronic identity (SwissID or TrustID).
An EPR deputy has the same rights as you and can view your entire EPR. This means that an EPR deputy has the same functionalities as you, except for:
- Setting up or closing the EPR
- Appointing further deputies
The EPR holder, or the deputy himself or herself, can cancel the EPR deputy function at any time.
If you want to delete a current deputy function, please follow these steps:
- Fill out this form. The deputy function will be terminated unilaterally. It is not necessary to inform the deputy or obtain his or her consent.
- Please send the completed form together with the enclosure (a copy of your ID) to: Post Sanela Health Ltd, Pfingstweidstrasse 60b, 8005 Zurich
- Central Services will review your request and terminate the deputy. Once the deputy function has been revoked, this person will no longer have access to your EPR. This does not affect the validity of the former deputy's electronic ID.
The number of EPR deputies is unlimited. You can appoint several persons of trust as your EPR deputy.
A log entry is created whenever you, a health professional or an assistant uses the EPR. This means you can track all processes at any time in the access log.
Metadata can contain additional information about other data. For example, books in a library database are labelled with keywords such as "crime thriller", "young adult book" or "illustrated book". Thanks to these keywords or metadata, large volumes of data can be stored in a structured way and then quickly organised, sorted and filtered.
Metadata for a document in the EPR includes, for example, the document class (example: referral letter) or the author and their role (healthcare professional or patient). The metadata must be completed / filled in when uploading documents to the EPR. The mandatory metadata is colour-coded in the EPR.
You can subsequently customise the metadata of uploaded documents.
On the following page you will find video instructions on uploading documents and editing metadata.
The metadata to be used for the exchange of medical data is defined in Annex 3 EPDV-EDI, which can be viewed at the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH): https://www.bag.admin.ch/bag/de/home/gesetze-und-bewilligungen/gesetzgebung/gesetzgebung-mensch-gesundheit/gesetzgebung-elektronisches-patientendossier.html
Closing the EPR
If you decide to close your EPR, please click here and follow the instructions.
Switching the EPR
You can find all the information about switching your EPR to Sanela here.