Electronic Payment Systems Observatory (ePSO). Newsletter Issues 9-15

Abstract not availableJRC.J-Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (Seville

European Hospital Survey: Benchmarking deployment of e-Health services (2012–2013) Synthesis of Outcomes

A widespread uptake of eHealth technologies is likely to benefit European Healthcare systems both in terms of quality of care and financial sustainability and European society at large. This is why eHealth has been on the European Commission policy agenda for more than a decade. The objectives of the latest eHealth action plan developed in 2012 are in line with those of the Europe 2020 Strategy and the Digital Agenda for Europe. This report, based on the analysis of the data from the "European Hospital Survey: Benchmarking deployment of e-Health services (2012–2013)" project, presents policy relevant results and findings in this field. The results highlighted here are based on the analysis of the survey descriptive results as well as two composite indicators on eHealth deployment and eHealth availability and use that were developed based on the survey's data. Although they are closely interrelated, these results have been grouped in four sections. They are presented in detail in this document and briefly summarised below.JRC.J.3-Information Societ

European Hospital Survey: Benchmarking deployment of e-Health services (2012–2013) Composite Indicators on eHealth Deployment and on Availability & Use of eHealth functionalities.

eHealth has been on the European Commission Information Society's policy agenda for more than a decade, from the eEurope initiative(European Commission 1999) to the i2010 Strategy(European Commission 2005), and most recently the Digital Agenda for Europe (DAE)(European Commission 2010), eHealth was also one of the Lead Market Initiatives in 2007. Today it is the focus of one of the two first pilots under the EU2020 Strategy and its Innovation Union flagship initiative – the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing. The key strategic orientations of the European Commission eHealth policy are defined in the eHealth Action Plan 2012-2020 where eHealth is referred to as "the application of information and communications technologies across the whole range of functions that affect the health sector and including products, systems and services that go beyond simply Internet-based applications"(European Commission 2004).JRC.J.3-Information Societ

The State of the Electronic Identity Market: Technologies, Infrastructure, Services and Policies

Authenticating onto systems, connecting to mobile networks and providing identity data to access services is common ground for most EU citizens, however what is disruptive is that digital technologies fundamentally alter and upset the ways identity is managed, by people, companies and governments. Technological progress in cryptography, identity systems design, smart card design and mobile phone authentication have been developed as a convenient and reliable answer to the need for authentication. Yet, these advances ar enot sufficient to satisfy the needs across people's many spheres of activity: work, leisure, health, social activities nor have they been used to enable cross-border service implementation in the Single Digital Market, or to ensure trust in cross border eCommerce. The study findings assert that the potentially great added value of eID technologies in enabling the Digital Economy has not yet been fulfilled, and fresh efforts are needed to build identification and authentication systems that people can live with, trust and use. The study finds that usability, minimum disclosure and portability, essential features of future systems, are at the margin of the market and cross-country, cross-sector eID systems for business and public service are only in their infancy. This report joins up the dots, and provides significant exploratory evidence of the potential of eID for the Single Digital Market. A clear understanding of this market is crucial for policy action on identification and authentication, eSignature and interoperability.JRC.DDG.J.4-Information Societ

Understanding the Economics of Electronic Identity: Theoretical Approaches and Case Studies

This paper discusses the economics of electronic identity (eIdentity) from both theoretical and practical perspectives. Personal identity data are becoming increasingly important in online transactions, and they have never been monetised to the extent they are today. Consequently, there is a need for an improved understanding of the economic externalities resulting from the electronic use of identities in transactions. In this context, we distinguish four main theoretical approaches for understanding economics of identity: identity as a consumption good, identity as a capital asset, identity as a social good, and identity as a cost. We analyse each of these approaches in terms of their benefits to understanding economics of identity, their drawbacks, and the bearer of the cost of identity provision. After the theoretical part, we go on to discuss three case studies, BBS, eBay and IdenTrust, and apply an appropriate concept of economics of identity to analyse each business case. Finally, we conclude the paper by discussing the implications that each of the different concepts of economics of identity has for policymakers.JRC.DDG.J.4-Information Societ

Assessing the Impact of Integrated Personal Health and Care Services: the Need for Modelling

In Europe Public expenditure for healthcare and Long-Term Care (LTC) currently absorbs 6.8% of GDP and without innovative cost containment measures could almost double by 2050 and reach 12.8% of GDP due to several socio-economic and cultural trends. This challenge can be turned into an opportunity for inclusive innovation and growth if the potential of ICT would be fully exploited to deliver personal health and social care services to prevent and manage chronic diseases (i.e. remote monitoring and treatment) or to ensure a dignified and independent living at home for the elderly (i.e. Ambient Assisted Living, AAL). This potential is fully recognised in both the EU2020 Strategy and in the new Digital Agenda for Europe, and one of the first European Innovation Partnership in 2011 will focus on Health and Ageing and related services. This favourable context, however, suffers from a scientific gap with important strategic implications for policy making: there exists currently no micro or macro economic empirical or modelling analysis that would enable policy makers to either demonstrate ex post the impact of Health&Care services or to simulate ex ante their potential impacts. Lacking this support it is at times difficult to win traditional resistance to innovation and push full adoption of such services in Europe. This research explored the availability of tools and methods, both for macro- and micro- modelling tools and processes, assessed their implications, challenges and opportunities and reports on its findings. The paper concludes by laying the foundations for proposing a new research plan that would aim at filling the scientific and policy relevant gap by proposing a hands-on modelling exercise to study the impacts in one country for on chronic disease.JRC.DDG.J.4-Information Societ

Pan-European Survey of Practices, Attitudes and Policy Preferences as regards Personal Identity Data Management

This Report presents the results of the largest survey ever conducted in Europe and elsewhere about people's behaviours, attitudes and regulatory preferences concerning data protection, privacy and electronic identity, both on the Internet and otherwise in their daily lives. It finds that personal data disclosure is increasingly prevalent in the European society, largely due to the expansion of the Information Society. In turn, most services provided in the digital economy rest on the assumption that this data and associated electronic identities are collected used and disposed of according to existing legislation. The survey shows very clearly how Digital Europe is shaping up. About two thirds of EU27 citizens use the Internet frequently, more than one third uses Social Networking Sites (SNS) to keep in touch with friends and business partners and almost 4 out of 10 shop online. In both of these contexts, people disclose vast amounts of personal information, and also manage a large and growing number of electronic identities. However, there are equally significant differences among Member States and considerable digital exclusion, mainly due to socio-demographic differences in affluence, education and age. These are some of the insights of the Eurobarometer Survey on Data Protection and Electronic Identity conducted in December 2010. The results were published in June 2011. The report builds on the top line results presented in the EB-359 report and analyses in depth the information collected so as to draw conclusions in direct relation to four key Digital Agenda areas: e-Commerce, Social Networking Sites, Authentication and Identification and Medical Information as Personal Data.JRC.J.3-Information Societ

Strategic Intelligence Monitor on Personal Health Systems (SIMPHS): Market Structure and Innovation Dynamics

Personal Health Systems (PHS) and Remote Patient Monitoring and Treatment (RMT) have the potential to alter the way healthcare is provided by increasing the quantity and quality of care. This report explores the current status of PHS and, more specifically of the RMT market in Europe. It addresses the question of how these technologies can contribute facing some of the challenges standing in front of the European healthcare delivery systems causes by higher demand pressures through chronic diseases and demographic change combined with diminishing resources for health care. An uptake and diffusion of these services would potentially lead to benefits through a reduction in death rates, and avoid recurring hospitalisation in a cost-effective manner. Yet the report identifies different categories of barriers hampering a full deployment of RMT in Europe. In the concluding part the reports provides a number of tentative policy options specifically aimed at fostering EU-wide deployment of RMT/PHS.JRC.DDG.J.4-Information Societ

Strategic Intelligence Monitor on Personal Health Systems (SIMPHS): Report on Typology/Segmentation of the PHS Market

This market segmentation reports for Personal Health Systems (PHS) describes the methodological background and illustrates the principles of classification and typology regarding different fragments forming this market. It discusses different aspects of the market for PHS and highlights challenges towards a stringent and clear-cut typology or defining market segmentation. Based on these findings a preliminary hybrid typology and indications and insights are created in order to be used in the continuation of the SIMPHS project. It concludes with an annex containing examples and cases studies.JRC.DDG.J.4-Information Societ