In the context of the European large-scale pilot on e-health (“epSOS”) numerous discussions on the implementation of a pan-European e-health infrastructure have been held. They all proved that differences among the national ehealth legislations pose serious obstacles to the Europeanwide exchange of personal health data. Even if it is very difficult to meet all requirements of the involved countries, this is an absolute pre-condition for a smooth exchange of patient data. The unlawful usage of personal health data can result in the loss of reputation, administrative fines and the need to restructure internal workflows at high costs. Being aware of the current legal framework avoids such. To know about future innovations to the legal framework facilitates strategic decisions and enables to take over leadership in the innovative process. Recognising this, the aim of this paper is to provide a better understanding of the current Austrian e-health legislation and the innovations to come, inspired by national and European projects. As development is still ongoing at national and European level, the information provided, especially regarding the outlook, is to be understood as of April 2012.