ACTIVITIES :: ICTs for Health :: Policy
The right prescription for Europe’s eHealth
Healthcare systems are becoming increasingly dependent on Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to deliver top-quality care to European citizens. The EU’s eHealth action plan sets out a clear road map for this sector.
Technology is advancing at a fast pace and changing the complexion of our daily lives. This applies just as much to the healthcare services we receive as to our work or leisure activities. Rapid and reliable ICTs have become a vital component of efficient and effective ‘health management systems’ in Europe and their use in healthcare will grow strongly in the future.
Although ICTs have been revolutionising the healthcare sector in recent years, the EU has found that efforts across the continent have been fragmented and could benefit from improved cross-border coordination. eHealth tools and services have been widely introduced, but too often health authorities, hospitals, or doctors have chosen and implemented their own individual systems. If these systems are able to communicate with each other, the potential benefits they can bring to patients will increase significantly.
At European level, this fragmentation is even more pronounced. In a Union where citizens increasingly travel across borders, individuals should be able to find the highest standards of healthcare wherever they go. Building a European eHealth Area will facilitate this, a goal at the heart of the European Commission’s strategy for the development of eHealth.
At international level, Europe and the US have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in December 2010 to promote a common approach on the interoperability of electronic health records and on education programmes for information technology and health professionals.
Action plan
In March 2011, European Commission launched a consultation on the eHealth Action Plan (eHAP) 2012-2020. This second eHealth action plan (eHAP) will provide an opportunity to consolidate the actions which have been addressed to date, take them a step further where possible and provide a longer term vision for eHealth in Europe, in the context the EU 2020 Strategy, the Digital Agenda for Europe as well as Innovation Union and its associated European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing.
In 2004, the Commission adopted the eHealth action plan - which covers everything from electronic prescriptions and health cards to new information systems that reduce waiting times and errors – to facilitate a more harmonious and complementary European approach to eHealth. (An assessment of the actions has been produced - see the report)
The plan sets out the steps needed for widespread adoption of eHealth technologies across the EU by 2010. Faster rollout of high-speed internet access, on which so many of the tools are based, is a crucial development if we are to fully exploit the widespread benefits of eHealth. Those groups in society which are least likely to have easy internet access, such as the elderly, disabled or unemployed are often those who have most need of health services. This means that promoting the accessibility of eHealth services, particularly to such groups, is a top priority of the action plan.
The plan calls on Member States to develop tailored national and regional eHealth strategies to respond to their own specific needs. Cultural differences, varying population profiles and geography all mean that regional and national health policies have to be developed individually. Where the EU becomes involved, under the action plan, is in encouraging each health authority to learn from the experiences of others. Through sharing ideas and experiences across Europe, all our citizens can benefit more rapidly from efficient and reliable eHealth systems.
The action plan set out a series of targets to be met in the years up to 2010.
eHealth is an integral component of the EU’s Digital Agenda that focuses on ICTs capability to reduce energy consumption, support ageing citizens' lives, revolutionises health services and deliver better public services.
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| Last update by the Editor (ehealth(AT)ec.europa.eu): 10/01/12 |