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In 2018, the European Commission published a Communication on the Digital transformation of healthcare. eHealth, telemedicine and other digital technologies such as 4G/5G mobile communications, artificial intelligence and supercomputing offer new opportunities to transform healthcare systems. Pillar 1: Secure data access and sharingTo facilitate greater acces to cross-border healthcare, the Commission is building the eHealth Digital Service Infrastructure to allow e-prescriptions and patient summaries to be exchangedSearch for available translations of the preceding linkEN••• between healthcare providers. The first cross-border exchanges started in 2019, with the goal of having all the other EU countries on board by 2025. In the longer term, the Commission is working towards establishing a European electronic health record exchange format that is accessible to all EU citizens. Pillar 2: Connecting and sharing health data for research, faster diagnosis and improved healthThe second pillar of the 2018 Communication intends to tap into the huge potential of health data to support medical research with the aim of improving prevention, diagnosis, treatments, drugs and medical devices. Pillar 3: Strengthening citizen empowerment and individual care through digital servicesDigital services can empower citizens, making it easier for them to take a greater role in the management of their own health from following prevention guidelines and being motivated to lead healthier lifestyles, to managing chronic conditions and providing feedback to healthcare providers. Health systems will also benefit from innovative care models that use telehealth and mHealth to address the rising demand for healthcare, helping to shift progessively towards integrated and personalised care systems. |
On 3 May 2022, the European Commission has opened a new phase for the digitisation of personal health data, with the launch of a Proposal for a Regulation on the European Health Data Space (EHDS).
The EHDS will help EU countries to implement an advanced health service that all people can benefit from. In fact, the process has already begun for some time. In many EU countries, digital medical records are already functioning for many citizens, of which medical prescriptions are only one aspect and which will be increasingly integrated with the medical profile of each citizen. When fully operational, the EHDS will allow medical staff and citizens to check and use their health data in their home country or in other Member States. This, in addition to improving the quality of health care, will promote the internal market for digital health services and products. It will also be of help to the entire research & innovation, providing coherent and up-to-date data, as well as support for the development of policies and regulatory activities. EHDS aims primarily to:
The Proposal for a Regulation is dealing with:
Next steps The Proposal for the Regulation on the European Health Data Space (EHDS) has been negotiated by Council of the EU and European Parliament (EP) in March 2024. Here the text. The EP adopted the agreement on 24 April 2024. After analysis and confirmation of the provisional agreements by Coreper, the EP has adopted its first reading position, without legal-linguistic revision, on these proposals before the end of the 9th legislative term. Once the legal-linguistic experts have revised the texts, the Corrigendum Procedure will allow the Plenary of the incoming EP to approve as a corrigendum the legally revised text of its first reading positions. If the EP Plenary approves the corrigenda, the Council should be able to approve the position of the EP on that basis, thus bringing to a close the first reading for both institutions. The acts would then be adopted in the wording which corresponds to the Parliament's position. The consensus achieved outlines clear regulations for the utilization of health data to improve healthcare delivery, research, innovation, and policy-making. These rules are designed to exploit the benefits of safe and secure health data exchange, usage, and reuse, all while adhering to the EU's stringent data protection standards. Key provisions under the new regulations include:
The European Parliament and the Council are set to formally adopt the new Regulation, which will be applied in various stages, differentiated by use case and data type. |
As described before, when national health systems will be interconnected and will use networks to exchange data, the benefits for patients are immense, as seen before. In addition, the interconnection also facilitates the ability to contact a hospital other than your own country, because you are traveling. The Directive 2011/24/EU on patients' rights in cross-border healthcare sets out the rights for patients and the rules for exercising them. The Directive is dealing with:
The Directive:
Check the 2019 report on the application of the Directive ------------------------> Cross-border Healthcare Expert Group The Cross-border Healthcare Expert Group brings together healthcare representatives from all EU countries to assist the European Commission with the implementation of the Directive. It provides the Commission with advice and expertise, and national authorities with a forum to exchange their experiences of the Directive. Are you seeking healthcare in another EU Member State? Before, read your rights and what it is important to know:
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