Innovation in eHealth

Pēteris Zilgalvis, J.D.Head of Unit, ICT for Health

DG Information Society and Media19 April, 2012

European Commission Policy Agenda

ICT for Health

Achieving a transparent and innovative market where competition will give us better quality, secure eHealth systems and services at a lower price for the benefit of the end user.

Defining the scope of eHealth

1. Clinical information systemsa) Specialised tools for health professionals within care institutions b) Tools for primary care and/or for outside the care institutions

2. Telemedicine systems and services

3. Regional/national health information networks including electronic health record systems and associated services

4. Secondary usage / non-clinical systemsa) Systems for medical education, research, public health b) Health education and health promotion of patients/citizens

EC instruments to make eHealth reality!

Mix of policy and research activities: Research instrument:

Seventh Framework Programme for Research (FP7)Personal Health Systems, Patient Safety, Virtual Physiological

Human (~100M€/year) Policy activities:

Communications/Recommendations/DirectiveseHealth Ministerial Conference / eHealth WeekStakeholders' Group / Task ForceStudies

Support implementation and deployment: Competitiveness Innovation Programme (CIP ICT PSP): Large Scale

Pilots on Interoperability and Telemedicine + Thematic Networks

Digital Agenda for Europe:

Sustainable economic and social benefits for all from a flourishing digital economy

eHealth in the DAE

Sustainable healthcare and ICT-based support for dignified and independent

living

eHealth actions in DAE

KA 13 Undertake pilot actions to equip Europeans with secure online access to their medical health data by 2015 and to achieve by 2020 widespread deployment of telemedicine services;

EMPOWERMENT

eHealth actions in DAE

KA14 Propose a recommendation defining a minimum common set of patient data for interoperability of patient records […] by 2012

CONTINUITY OF CARE + INTEROPERABILITY

+ Foster EU-wide standards, interoperability testing and certification of eHealth systems by 2015 through stakeholder dialogue

Objectives and headline target

A triple win for Europe:• Enabling EU citizens to lead healthy, active and independent lives until old

age

• Improving the sustainability and efficiency of social and health care systems

• Developing and deploying innovative solutions, thus fostering competitiveness and market growth

Overarching goal by 2020: • Increasing the number of healthy life years (HLYs) by 2 in the EU on average • http://ec.europa.eu/active-healthy-ageing

European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing

European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing

6 action areas:

• Health literacy, patient empowerment, ethics and adherence

• Early diagnosis and prevention of specific conditions

• Prevention diagnosis and management of functional decline in older people

• Integrated care for chronic diseases, including remote monitoring

• Active and independent living

• Age friendly buildings, cities and environments

By 2015

Cross Border Care and eHealth

• Article 14 Voluntary Network on e-health to be set-up first half 2012

• Key instrument to strengthen MS cooperation• Can provide important feedback in areas such as

telemedicine

EU-US Memorandum of Understanding on eHealth

Signed: 17/12/2010 by EC / US Dept Health and Human Services

• Cooperation surrounding health related information and communications technologies

Focus:• key areas where scope for progress for the benefits of patients,

healthcare systems and the economy

• interoperability standards and specifications for EHR systems as well as the development of a skilled health IT workforce

• important step to tackling market defragmentation by creating global conditions for common approaches to interoperability and standardisation

•

Electronic Health Records and Privacy Issues

epSOS project

• Provides cross border services that support safe, secure and efficient medical treatment for citizens when travelling across Europe

• Focuses on services close to the patient:• Patient Summary for EU Citizens

Occasional Visitors or Regular Visitors

• ePrescribing for EU CitizensMedication ePrescription and /or Medication

eDispensation

• Builds on existing National eHealth Projects

Electronic Health Records and Privacy Issues II

• Political priority in many MS • E.g. in Denmark, Sweden and Latvia online access to

medical records is a reality

• EU support to deployment:Patient access to data: two projects have been

negotiated: Palante and Sustains

• …the issue of authentication of users is important• eSignature Directive can help (under revision)

Secondary use of data for research

• Relevant INFSO funded projects:• TRANSFoRmhttp://137.73.82.45/Home.html • PONTE http://www.ponte-project.eu/

• Art. 14 on eHealth voluntary network• Review of data protection Directive to harmonise

this issue

Health and data protection

• Art. 29 Working Paper on EHR (guidelines)• Currently health data under Art. 8 of Directive 1995/46/EC

on data protection:• Principle: a ban on processing but exceptions (Art. 8.2 & 8.3)

• Proposal for a Regulation on data protection adopted by EC January 2012:

• Same principle as 1995/46/EC (ban with exception) but includes more detailed provisions on when health data could be processed

• Possibilities to process health data for research purposes with multiple safeguards

Coming Up:

• SWP on legal aspects related to telemedicine• Provide clarity on « grey areas »

• eHealth Action Plan • Taking on board feedback from consultation• Taking into consideration developments in related to

eHealth• Areas to examine include:

• Evidence and awareness• Interoperability/standardisation/market• Regulatory/Organisational issues• Innovation in eHealth

Coming Up:

Benchmarking studies (Spring 2013):• European Hospital Survey – eHealth deployment

composite indicator: follow up to the 2010 study. will facilitate monitoring levels and impact of eHealth deployment in Europe.

• Study on the deployment of eHealth applications among General Practitioners (GPs). Follow up to 2009 study.

Coming Up

• eHealth Week 2012• 7-9 May, Copenhagen• « Smart Health, Better Lives »• Ministerial Conference + WoHIT Conference and

exhibition

LINKS

EIPhttp://ec.europa.eu/research/innovation-union/index_en.cfm?

section=active-healthy-ageing&pg=implementation-plan

Digital Agenda for Europehttp://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda

ICT for Health http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/ehealth

• eHealth Week 2012: • www.ehealthweek.org • twitter.com/EU_eHealthweek• youtube.com/user/eHealthweek

• ICT for Health: • twitter.com/ehealthinfso • facebook.com/ehealthinfso• youtube.com/user/ehealthinfso

Follow eHealth activities