The use of technology to revolutionise healthcare delivery and improve patient outcomes will be the focus of international eHealth Week  taking place in Dublin from 13-15 May 2013. Expected to attract over 2,500 international delegates and 100 exhibitors, the annual event will welcome global decision makers from public and private healthcare sectors, clinicians, hospital and IT managers and VIP guests. 

eHealth solutions are critical in the delivery of high quality health systems. eHealth Week aims to encourage innovative policy development and will look at maximising health and economic benefits and the potential for employment through new technologies. The focal Irish Presidency event will be a High Level eHealth meeting of Member States at Dublin Castle. Events over three days at the Convention Centre Dublin will include a plenary sessions involving Ministers and EU Commissioners, an EU-US Assembly, a European Innovation Partnership stream, an SME Competition as well as a wide range of parallel education session. For the first time, an EU-US Marketplace, a matchmaking event where stakeholders can arrange to meet, designed to encourage transatlantic collaboration will be held.

One of the important side events taking place during this eHealth week is the eHealth Network Meeting . This Network was set-up in 2012, under the EU Directive on patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare. This political body connects the authorities on eHealth, and will gradually work towards interoperable eHealth systems. During the meeting, which takes place on 14 May in Dublin Castle, European countries will discuss the progress on a minimum dataset for patient summary in cross-border care, developments on eID and data protection, and the work that is being done on semantic and technical interoperability.

The Ireland-EC Presidency Pavilion will take centre stage at the exhibition and will be host to the Irish Department of Health, the European Commission and others. 

This flagship event illustrates the gathering momentum across the EU for programmes of change and innovation in healthcare, both at policy and industry level. It is co-organised by the Irish Presidency, the European Commission and the World of Health IT.