President, Honourable Members,
I would like to thank you for the occasion to have this important discussion.
We need to have the right means to keep our citizens healthy. Digitalisation can be a game changer in this respect – it can bring concrete benefits to patients and healthcare professionals and has the potential to provide cost-effective high quality healthcare whilst reducing inequalities.
All of us here are committed to fostering the digital transformation of health and care, in a way that is inclusive, and places the citizen at its centre. Health data - and how it can be securely shared in full respect of EU data protection standards - is critically important to achieve this transformation.
For the patients, we need to ensure that Europe has a framework that:
- supports them and their health providers directly,
- ensures that citizens have control over their personal data,
- facilitates research,
- and supports development of digital medical devices, diagnostics and services.
You can all rest assured that the creation of a European Health Data Space to promote data exchange and support research will be an important part of my health agenda.
I will be working closely together with the Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, as well as Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager and Vice-President Schinas to move forward in this endeavour.
The Commission’s vision was first set out in the 2018 Communication - enabling the digital transformation of health and care in the Digital Single Market.
The aim is to encourage Member State action on e-health whilst ensuring that citizens have secure access to their comprehensive electronic health data everywhere in the EU.
Since then, important progress has been made.
Earlier this year, five Member States for the first time began exchanging e-Prescriptions and patient summaries through the eHealth Digital Service Infrastructure - supported by the Connecting Europe Facility. Over 5,000 ePrescriptions have so far been dispensed - this clearly shows that we can have continuity of care across borders.
The Commission also adopted a Recommendation on a European Electronic Health Record Exchange Format to improve the ability to share data between systems, and enable citizens' access to their own electronic health records.
These actions will continue as we move ahead with the creation of the EU Health Data Space, supported by the proposed Digital Europe Programme.
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Whilst data is a key enabler for digital systems' transformation – we are also well aware that it presents a number of challenges.
It is essential that data protection and cybersecurity considerations are built in from the design phase to:
- protect patient confidentiality,
- enable them to access their data safely,
- and to protect the integrity of systems.
The Commission has taken a number of important steps on this.
Firstly, patient data is protected and secured through the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation. Secondly, health is one of the key sectors covered in the EU's first cybersecurity legislation - the Directive on Security of Network and Information Systems.
Earlier this year, we recommended that Member States develop ‘National Digital Health Networks’ to bring cybersecurity and relevant expertise into their digital health systems.
Thirdly, we also encourage Member States to put in place secure electronic identification and authentication approaches for the health sector.
Collectively, these measures will help build trust based systems.
The Commission proposes to underpin them with major investments.
€2 billion is foreseen for developing cybersecurity in the EU, including the health sector, as part of the Digital Europe Programme.
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President, Honourable Members,
Another major challenge is skills development.
Digitisation must reduce inequalities, not create a "digital divide".
Under the next Multiannual Financial Framework, the Commission is proposing €700 million under "Digital Europe" for developing advanced digital skills.
This will support training for healthcare professionals and help citizens develop digital literacy, enabling society to make the most of digital health opportunities.
The European Social Fund and research programmes will also include important projects and programmes to support this.
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Empowering citizens to manage their own health is a key priority of the 2018 digital transformation agenda. It is essential that this transformation develops with the patient in mind, and puts their needs first.
Over the next five years, I will be working with Member States to ensure that Europe makes real progress on digital health and delivers its full benefits to citizens.
Our progress on digital health and data exchange and research under the European Health Data Space will also be important for the successful delivery of our other health priorities, such as “Europe’s Beating Cancer” Plan.
We are fully committed to supporting this transition and make the most of the potential of e-health.
I look forward to working closely with you on this very important issue.