Articles on Electronic signature

SES, AES or QES for surgical informed consent — which eIDAS level is legally sound? A factual assessment for hospitals in the DACH region.

For standard surgical informed consent, medical law in Germany and Austria does not prescribe a specific signature level. An advanced electronic signature (AES) is generally sufficient if it is embedded in a complete consent trail. The qualified electronic signature (QES) is the appropriate instrument for clinical trials under the AMG or MPDG, or where required by compliance or the liability insurer. A simple electronic signature (SES) — such as a finger signature on a tablet without proof of identity — is in principle not sufficient under medical law.