Our society is in the midst of a vast and pervasive data revolution. Enormous amounts of data are produced and
exchanged daily and people are increasingly using all sort of digital tools in almost any aspects of their life. Health
is no exception. A 2013 survey shows that 75% of European hospitals have some type of electronic health records
(EHR) system in place.1 In 2014, six out of ten Europeans have searched for health information on the Internet2 and
the download of health and well-being applications in 2016 has reached 3 billion globally.

Guagliardo, Simona

Archive of European Integration

BACKGROUND
Health in our digital society
Our society is in the midst of a vast and pervasive data revolution. Enormous amounts of data are produced and
exchanged daily and people are increasingly using all sort of digital tools in almost any aspects of their life. Health
is no exception. A 2013 survey shows that 75% of European hospitals have some type of electronic health records
(EHR) system in place.1 In 2014, six out of ten Europeans have searched for health information on the Internet2 and
the download of health and well-being applications in 2016 has reached 3 billion globally.3
This transformation brings about new opportunities for the healthcare sector to become more effective, sustainable
and accessible. Digital solutions and data utilisation can help improve people's health and address some of the
challenges facing healthcare in Europe. Barriers to the digitalisation of healthcare, however, exist and require
adequate attention.
This paper, published ahead of the announced Communication from the Commission on the digital transformation
of health and care in the context of the Digital Single Market, lays out the challenges that European healthcare
systems are facing in our digital era. It looks into the benefits and limits of the deployment of digital solutions 
in health, while putting forward recommendations for action at the level of the European Union (EU). 
A comprehensive approach that takes into account public support, ICT infrastructure development, and data
protection and security, should form the very structure of the EU's next steps in this area.
Europe is currently the oldest continent in the world and is expected to hold this record at least until 2060. The old
age dependency ratio (people aged 65 or above relative to the working age population) reaches almost 25% in
Europe, while it remains below 20% in other regions (Northern America at around 20%, Asia and Latin America
slightly above 10%, while Africa remains below 10%).4 This demographic trend is partly the result of the positive
performance of healthcare systems and of medical innovation that have fuelled rising life expectancy across the
globe. But it also reflects a disproportion between elderly people (often at higher risk of chronic diseases) and the
rest of the population that challenges public budgets, especially pension and healthcare systems.
Healthcare systems are also facing pressures stemming from low economic growth, rising health and care
expenditure and remaining inequalities in access to healthcare. As one of the largest items of public expenditure,
health and long-term care expenditure in OECD countries is projected to continue to grow, presumably
accounting for 9% of GDP in 2030 and as much as 14% of GDP by 2060.5 These factors pose significant risks in
terms of healthcare inefficiency, financial unsustainability, and, what is of more concern to citizens and patients,
insufficient and/or unequal access to health services.
Digital health:
How can the EU help make the most out of it?
The King Baudouin Foundation is the strategic partner of the European Policy Centre
Simona Guagliardo
POLICY BRIEF
25 January 2018
STATE OF PLAY
The benefits of digital innovation in health
Digital innovation in health brings about a range of potential benefits for all stakeholders: patients and caregivers,
healthcare professionals and organisations, businesses and public authorities. Digital solutions can help avoid
wasteful spending, facilitate inclusion, deliver more patient-centred services, improve people's health and quality
of life, empower patients, and enhance access to services and information.
Evidence of such benefits has been found in the field of telemedicine, especially when applied to the
management of chronic diseases, mental health, as well as health promotion and prevention. For instance, EU 
co-funded pilot projects have showed that ICT solutions applied to integrated health and care services improved
the quality of life of chronic patients, while reducing hospital admissions and visits to the general practitioner.6
Encouraging results also come from the implementation of interoperable EHR and ePrescription systems. Analyses
of good practices across Europe have showed that long-term socio-economic gains exceeded costs and returns on
investment could amount to 200%. Also, the benefits for both patients and healthcare professionals were found to
be significant. They included enhanced patient safety, reduced clinical risk, increased continuity of care and
improved productivity.7
In addition, the emerging big data analytics is expected to have a major impact on healthcare. It could increase
the effectiveness and quality of treatments by boosting advances in clinical research, providing a better
understanding of health determinants and co-morbidities, and lessening medical errors. Moreover, the analysis of
such an amount of information may enhance our knowledge of disease transmission pathways, support chronic
disease management and improve patient safety.
Lastly, the market side of digital health should not be overlooked. The connection between ICT, healthcare and
well-being has created, and is expected to continue to spur new businesses and opportunities for economic actors.
The limits associated with the deployment of digital solutions in health
To fully reap the benefits, a number of barriers to the deployment of digital health need to be addressed. Both EU
institutions and member states have for long been working towards achieving this result, but more needs to be done.
Firstly, a primary challenge relates to the ballooning volume of personal health data, generated either as part of
healthcare service provisions, or by the patients/consumers themselves when using personal digital devices to
monitor health or lifestyle parameters. From a legal perspective, as of May 2018, the management of personal
health data will be subject to the requirements set in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which
imposes rigorous security requirements and prohibits the processing of genetic, biometric or health-related data,
outside very specific circumstances. Although the regulation has been adopted more than a year ago, awareness
and full understanding of its legal implications is not widespread. Moreover, when considering mobile health
(mHealth), there is shortage of guidance on how to comply with the transparency, privacy and security
requirements of the GDPR. This is mainly due to the fact that mHealth is a relatively young and rapidly
developing business segment. Such limits need to be addressed, both to ensure proper collection, use and
management of health data, and to meet citizens' and patients' expectations on privacy and security issues.
From a technical viewpoint, the existing gaps in ICT infrastructure development across and within countries are
an obstacle to the broad and effective deployment of digital solutions in health. ICT infrastructures still differ
considerably across countries and regions. Broadband penetration, for example, varies significantly, ranging from
97% registered in Luxembourg to 63% in Bulgaria.8 On top of this, cross-country differences persist in the
availability and use of digital health solutions. For instance, statistics on eHealth deployment and use in acute
care hospitals in Europe show that, despite growing convergence, Nordic countries continue being the best
performers while eastern European countries are less performing.9 This divide hampers cross-border provision of,
and equal access to, healthcare services. Additionally, the lack of data interoperability and common
standardisation hinders the effective communication between different healthcare environments, creating
scenarios where health data collected, for example, by a hospital are not readable and understandable in another
hospital in the same area, let alone in a different region or country.
Another set of barriers relates to the still unequal access to ICT services and low digital literacy among a wide
segment of the European population. With the rapid pace of digital transformations, the performance of health
systems will be closely dependent on how many people have access to digital solutions. Moreover, beyond the
question of equal access, acceptance and trust will also play a crucial role.
Digital health at the policy level
Digital health has been high on the EU agenda for over a decade. The Commission first adopted its eHealth Action
Plan in 2004. It then launched a flurry of initiatives to foster the implementation of digital health solutions across
the EU.
In 2011, the Cross-Border Healthcare Directive set a milestone in this process by establishing the eHealth
Network for formal cooperation between competent national authorities. The network supports member states
elaborating common measures to facilitate the exchange of data in cross-border healthcare.
The second eHealth Action Plan (2012-2020) has been complemented in 2014 by the Green Paper on mobile
health that looks into the potential of mobile devices in supporting medical and public health practice. Since 2015,
furthering the digitalisation of healthcare has been an integral part of the Digital Single Market Strategy that seeks to
bring about an inclusive e-society and boost the competitiveness of Europe's industrial and services sectors.
Besides these initiatives, the Commission has also allocated funds to promote innovation and advance the uptake
of new technologies in the health sector. For example, the Horizon 2020 Work Programme 2018-2020 allocated
an overall indicative budget of EUR 207.5 million to the call Digital transformation in Health and Care. Also,
strengthening digital literacy and promoting the uptake of digital solutions in health are relevant objectives
pursued by the EU cohesion policy for the period 2014-2020. In particular, the second of 11 thematic objectives
(Enhancing access to, and use and quality of, information and communication technologies) provides funding for
the development of ICT tools in the health sector, among others.
At the Council level, the Estonian Presidency has put great emphasis on advancing digital innovation in
healthcare, with a particular focus on citizens' right to securely access their health data. It has also promoted
better data management to boost medical research and facilitate cross-border data exchange. This is also reflected
in the Digital Health Society initiative initiated by the Ministry of Social Affairs of Estonia in July 2017 and in the
Council conclusions on digital health adopted on December 2017.
PROSPECTS
Tackling the challenges mentioned above requires a comprehensive approach with particular attention on three
key aspects: data security, ICT infrastructure development, and public support.
Firstly, the EU should move forward rapidly in addressing the challenges posed by the ballooning volume of
personal health data and the many concerns about data security, especially regarding mHealth Apps. Actions
should aim at raising awareness and ensuring clarity about the legislative framework that protects health data
privacy. The Commission should promote EU-level communication and social media campaigns to explain to
citizens and patients the measures in place to protect their privacy. Similar activities should target the business
sector and the organisations processing health data to clarify their obligations and how to comply with the legal
provisions protecting data privacy (e.g. GDPR), especially in the field of mHealth. In this area, the Commission
has facilitated the drafting of the European Code of Conduct on Privacy for Mobile Health Apps, which represents
a good starting point in addressing citizens' and patients' concerns. The Commission should now request the
drafting team of industry members to take on board the comments made by the Article 29 Working Party – the
independent advisory body of the Commission comprised of representatives from all the national data protection
authorities – and thus rapidly finalise the code of conduct. Once completed, such a code could provide a
competitive advantage to those industries conforming to it by ensuring a positive image among consumers, thus
addressing users' privacy concerns.
Secondly, EU institutions should also address the technical side of the management of personal health data,
targeting the existing gaps in ICT infrastructure development across countries and exploring interoperability
solutions, always preserving privacy and security. This requires resources and knowledge development, which can
be boosted at the EU level. Already under Horizon 2020, the Commission earmarked EUR 30 million for the
exercise of prototyping a European interoperable EHR exchange that takes into account innovative technologies,
such as the blockchain, the digitalised and distributed ledger of transactions or data mostly known for its
application in the financial sector (Bitcoin). This technology is potentially able to allow health data sharing
between the various stakeholders, without jeopardising data integrity, security, and privacy.
This represents a promising starting point, but more needs to be done. The Horizon 2020 allocation refers to 2018
and the effort should continue and be extended until 2020. Other funding instruments also play a crucial role,
such as the European Structural and Investment Funds and the Connecting Europe Facility. With the proposals on
European Policy Centre ■ 14-16 rue du Trône, 1000 Brussels, Belgium 
Tel: +32 (0)2 231 03 40 ■ Email: info@epc.eu ■ Twitter: @epc_eu ■ Website: www.epc.eu
With the support of the Europe for Citizens
Programme of the European Union.
the post-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) expected soon, the EU should allocate the necessary
financial resources to ensure continuity and possibly increase today's efforts.
Gathering and sharing knowledge on ICT infrastructures for health should also be put on the agenda. The
Commission should support member states, by designing methodologies and providing expertise, to run a
mapping exercise of ICT infrastructures in health. Such knowledge, combined with the sharing of best practices at
the EU level, would then help national governments to fill gaps and effectively direct investments towards the
healthcare structures that are lagging behind in ICT development and/or in the deployment of digital health
solutions. This would help ensure the equal access for all EU citizens to innovative and more efficient healthcare
services, irrespective of where they are located on the European territory.
Thirdly, access to ICT technology does not depend solely on technical development but also on the digital health
literacy of the population, whether patients or health professionals. Accordingly, the Commission should
encourage and support member states in implementing awareness raising campaigns and training programmes
targeting patients, carers and health professionals. Particular attention must be paid to the older segments of the
population as well as the less educated.
As a conclusion, a comprehensive initiative boosting data security, an even development of ICT infrastructure,
and stakeholders' awareness and education, should be among, if not at the core, of the EU's next actions. Further
measures, for example those which will be proposed by the Commission in the announced Communication on
the digital transformation of health and care, should pay particular attention to these aspects. Not only they do
potentially represent significant barriers to digital innovation in healthcare, but more importantly they would, if
neglected, greatly hamper equal access to and overall trust in our health systems.
Simona Guagliardo is a Junior Policy Analyst in the Social Europe and Well-being Programme of the European
Policy Centre.
The views expressed in this Policy Brief are the sole responsibility of the author.
This Policy Brief builds on the Coalition for Health, Ethics and Society (CHES) activities in the past year. CHES is
kindly supported by a non-restricted education grant of Johnson & Johnson, and part of the EPC Social Europe &
Well-being Programme.
1 Joint Research Centre, European Hospital Survey: Benchmarking Deployment of e-Health Services (2012-2013), 2013, available at:
https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/european-hospital-survey-benchmarking-deployment-ehealth-services-2012-2013
2 European Commission, Flash Eurobarometer 404 European Citizens' Digital Health Literacy, November 2014, available at:
http://ec.europa.eu/commfrontoffice/publicopinion/flash/fl_404_en.pdf
3 Research2Guidance, mHealth App Developer Economics 2016. The current status and trends of the mHealth app market, October 2016, 
available at: https://research2guidance.com/r2g/r2g-mHealth-App-Developer-Economics-2016.pdf
4 European Commission, The 2015 Ageing Report Economic and budgetary projections for the 28 EU Member States (2013-2060), 2015, 
available at: http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/publications/european_economy/2015/pdf/ee3_en.pdf
5 OECD projections in absence of effective cost containment policies. OECD, Fiscal Sustainability of Health Systems. Bridging Health and Finance
Perspectives, 2015, available at: http://www.oecd.org/health/fiscal-sustainability-of-health-systems-9789264233386-en.htm
6 Ingo Meyer, Sonja Müller et al., Integrated eCare - A Way Ahead Final report of the CommonWell project, June 2012. 
7 Alexander Dobrev et al., The socio-economic impact of interoperable electronic health record (EHR) and ePrescribing systems in Europe and
beyond, October 2009, available at: http://www.ehr-impact.eu/downloads/documents/EHRI_final_report_2009.pdf
8 Eurostat, Internet access and use statistics - households and individuals, data extracted in December 2016.
9 Joint Research Centre op.cit.


Digital health: How can the EU help make the most out of it? EPC Policy Brief, 25 January 2018

Our society is in the midst of a vast and pervasive data revolution. Enormous amounts of data are produced and

exchanged daily and people are increasingly using all sort of digital tools in almost any aspects of their life. Health

is no exception. A 2013 survey shows that 75% of European hospitals have some type of electronic health records

(EHR) system in place.1 In 2014, six out of ten Europeans have searched for health information on the Internet2 and

the download of health and well-being applications in 2016 has reached 3 billion globally.

BACKGROUNDHealth in our digital societyOur society is in the midst of a vast and pervasive data revolution. Enormous amounts of data are produced andexchanged daily and people are increasingly using all sort of digital tools in almost any aspects of their life. Healthis no exception. A 2013 survey shows that 75% of European hospitals have some type of electronic health records(EHR) system in place.1 In 2014, six out of ten Europeans have searched for health information on the Internet2 andthe download of health and well-being applications in 2016 has reached 3 billion globally.3This transformation brings about new opportunities for the healthcare sector to become more effective, sustainableand accessible. Digital solutions and data utilisation can help improve people's health and address some of thechallenges facing healthcare in Europe. Barriers to the digitalisation of healthcare, however, exist and requireadequate attention.This paper, published ahead of the announced Communication from the Commission on the digital transformationof health and care in the context of the Digital Single Market, lays out the challenges that European healthcaresystems are facing in our digital era. It looks into the benefits and limits of the deployment of digital solutions in health, while putting forward recommendations for action at the level of the European Union (EU). A comprehensive approach that takes into account public support, ICT infrastructure development, and dataprotection and security, should form the very structure of the EU's next steps in this area.Europe is currently the oldest continent in the world and is expected to hold this record at least until 2060. The oldage dependency ratio (people aged 65 or above relative to the working age population) reaches almost 25% inEurope, while it remains below 20% in other regions (Northern America at around 20%, Asia and Latin Americaslightly above 10%, while Africa remains below 10%).4 This demographic trend is partly the result of the positiveperformance of healthcare systems and of medical innovation that have fuelled rising life expectancy across theglobe. But it also reflects a disproportion between elderly people (often at higher risk of chronic diseases) and therest of the population that challenges public budgets, especially pension and healthcare systems.Healthcare systems are also facing pressures stemming from low economic growth, rising health and careexpenditure and remaining inequalities in access to healthcare. As one of the largest items of public expenditure,health and long-term care expenditure in OECD countries is projected to continue to grow, presumablyaccounting for 9% of GDP in 2030 and as much as 14% of GDP by 2060.5 These factors pose significant risks interms of healthcare inefficiency, financial unsustainability, and, what is of more concern to citizens and patients,insufficient and/or unequal access to health services.Digital health:How can the EU help make the most out of it?The King Baudouin Foundation is the strategic partner of the European Policy CentreSimona GuagliardoPOLICY BRIEF25 January 2018STATE OF PLAYThe benefits of digital innovation in healthDigital innovation in health brings about a range of potential benefits for all stakeholders: patients and caregivers,healthcare professionals and organisations, businesses and public authorities. Digital solutions can help avoidwasteful spending, facilitate inclusion, deliver more patient-centred services, improve people's health and qualityof life, empower patients, and enhance access to services and information.Evidence of such benefits has been found in the field of telemedicine, especially when applied to themanagement of chronic diseases, mental health, as well as health promotion and prevention. For instance, EU co-funded pilot projects have showed that ICT solutions applied to integrated health and care services improvedthe quality of life of chronic patients, while reducing hospital admissions and visits to the general practitioner.6Encouraging results also come from the implementation of interoperable EHR and ePrescription systems. Analysesof good practices across Europe have showed that long-term socio-economic gains exceeded costs and returns oninvestment could amount to 200%. Also, the benefits for both patients and healthcare professionals were found tobe significant. They included enhanced patient safety, reduced clinical risk, increased continuity of care andimproved productivity.7In addition, the emerging big data analytics is expected to have a major impact on healthcare. It could increasethe effectiveness and quality of treatments by boosting advances in clinical research, providing a betterunderstanding of health determinants and co-morbidities, and lessening medical errors. Moreover, the analysis ofsuch an amount of information may enhance our knowledge of disease transmission pathways, support chronicdisease management and improve patient safety.Lastly, the market side of digital health should not be overlooked. The connection between ICT, healthcare andwell-being has created, and is expected to continue to spur new businesses and opportunities for economic actors.The limits associated with the deployment of digital solutions in healthTo fully reap the benefits, a number of barriers to the deployment of digital health need to be addressed. Both EUinstitutions and member states have for long been working towards achieving this result, but more needs to be done.Firstly, a primary challenge relates to the ballooning volume of personal health data, generated either as part ofhealthcare service provisions, or by the patients/consumers themselves when using personal digital devices tomonitor health or lifestyle parameters. From a legal perspective, as of May 2018, the management of personalhealth data will be subject to the requirements set in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) whichimposes rigorous security requirements and prohibits the processing of genetic, biometric or health-related data,outside very specific circumstances. Although the regulation has been adopted more than a year ago, awarenessand full understanding of its legal implications is not widespread. Moreover, when considering mobile health(mHealth), there is shortage of guidance on how to comply with the transparency, privacy and securityrequirements of the GDPR. This is mainly due to the fact that mHealth is a relatively young and rapidlydeveloping business segment. Such limits need to be addressed, both to ensure proper collection, use andmanagement of health data, and to meet citizens' and patients' expectations on privacy and security issues.From a technical viewpoint, the existing gaps in ICT infrastructure development across and within countries arean obstacle to the broad and effective deployment of digital solutions in health. ICT infrastructures still differconsiderably across countries and regions. Broadband penetration, for example, varies significantly, ranging from97% registered in Luxembourg to 63% in Bulgaria.8 On top of this, cross-country differences persist in theavailability and use of digital health solutions. For instance, statistics on eHealth deployment and use in acutecare hospitals in Europe show that, despite growing convergence, Nordic countries continue being the bestperformers while eastern European countries are less performing.9 This divide hampers cross-border provision of,and equal access to, healthcare services. Additionally, the lack of data interoperability and commonstandardisation hinders the effective communication between different healthcare environments, creatingscenarios where health data collected, for example, by a hospital are not readable and understandable in anotherhospital in the same area, let alone in a different region or country.Another set of barriers relates to the still unequal access to ICT services and low digital literacy among a widesegment of the European population. With the rapid pace of digital transformations, the performance of healthsystems will be closely dependent on how many people have access to digital solutions. Moreover, beyond thequestion of equal access, acceptance and trust will also play a crucial role.Digital health at the policy levelDigital health has been high on the EU agenda for over a decade. The Commission first adopted its eHealth ActionPlan in 2004. It then launched a flurry of initiatives to foster the implementation of digital health solutions acrossthe EU.In 2011, the Cross-Border Healthcare Directive set a milestone in this process by establishing the eHealthNetwork for formal cooperation between competent national authorities. The network supports member stateselaborating common measures to facilitate the exchange of data in cross-border healthcare.The second eHealth Action Plan (2012-2020) has been complemented in 2014 by the Green Paper on mobilehealth that looks into the potential of mobile devices in supporting medical and public health practice. Since 2015,furthering the digitalisation of healthcare has been an integral part of the Digital Single Market Strategy that seeks tobring about an inclusive e-society and boost the competitiveness of Europe's industrial and services sectors.Besides these initiatives, the Commission has also allocated funds to promote innovation and advance the uptakeof new technologies in the health sector. For example, the Horizon 2020 Work Programme 2018-2020 allocatedan overall indicative budget of EUR 207.5 million to the call Digital transformation in Health and Care. Also,strengthening digital literacy and promoting the uptake of digital solutions in health are relevant objectivespursued by the EU cohesion policy for the period 2014-2020. In particular, the second of 11 thematic objectives(Enhancing access to, and use and quality of, information and communication technologies) provides funding forthe development of ICT tools in the health sector, among others.At the Council level, the Estonian Presidency has put great emphasis on advancing digital innovation inhealthcare, with a particular focus on citizens' right to securely access their health data. It has also promotedbetter data management to boost medical research and facilitate cross-border data exchange. This is also reflectedin the Digital Health Society initiative initiated by the Ministry of Social Affairs of Estonia in July 2017 and in theCouncil conclusions on digital health adopted on December 2017.PROSPECTSTackling the challenges mentioned above requires a comprehensive approach with particular attention on threekey aspects: data security, ICT infrastructure development, and public support.Firstly, the EU should move forward rapidly in addressing the challenges posed by the ballooning volume ofpersonal health data and the many concerns about data security, especially regarding mHealth Apps. Actionsshould aim at raising awareness and ensuring clarity about the legislative framework that protects health dataprivacy. The Commission should promote EU-level communication and social media campaigns to explain tocitizens and patients the measures in place to protect their privacy. Similar activities should target the businesssector and the organisations processing health data to clarify their obligations and how to comply with the legalprovisions protecting data privacy (e.g. GDPR), especially in the field of mHealth. In this area, the Commissionhas facilitated the drafting of the European Code of Conduct on Privacy for Mobile Health Apps, which representsa good starting point in addressing citizens' and patients' concerns. The Commission should now request thedrafting team of industry members to take on board the comments made by the Article 29 Working Party – theindependent advisory body of the Commission comprised of representatives from all the national data protectionauthorities – and thus rapidly finalise the code of conduct. Once completed, such a code could provide acompetitive advantage to those industries conforming to it by ensuring a positive image among consumers, thusaddressing users' privacy concerns.Secondly, EU institutions should also address the technical side of the management of personal health data,targeting the existing gaps in ICT infrastructure development across countries and exploring interoperabilitysolutions, always preserving privacy and security. This requires resources and knowledge development, which canbe boosted at the EU level. Already under Horizon 2020, the Commission earmarked EUR 30 million for theexercise of prototyping a European interoperable EHR exchange that takes into account innovative technologies,such as the blockchain, the digitalised and distributed ledger of transactions or data mostly known for itsapplication in the financial sector (Bitcoin). This technology is potentially able to allow health data sharingbetween the various stakeholders, without jeopardising data integrity, security, and privacy.This represents a promising starting point, but more needs to be done. The Horizon 2020 allocation refers to 2018and the effort should continue and be extended until 2020. Other funding instruments also play a crucial role,such as the European Structural and Investment Funds and the Connecting Europe Facility. With the proposals onEuropean Policy Centre ■ 14-16 rue du Trône, 1000 Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32 (0)2 231 03 40 ■ Email: info@epc.eu ■ Twitter: @epc_eu ■ Website: www.epc.euWith the support of the Europe for CitizensProgramme of the European Union.the post-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) expected soon, the EU should allocate the necessaryfinancial resources to ensure continuity and possibly increase today's efforts.Gathering and sharing knowledge on ICT infrastructures for health should also be put on the agenda. TheCommission should support member states, by designing methodologies and providing expertise, to run amapping exercise of ICT infrastructures in health. Such knowledge, combined with the sharing of best practices atthe EU level, would then help national governments to fill gaps and effectively direct investments towards thehealthcare structures that are lagging behind in ICT development and/or in the deployment of digital healthsolutions. This would help ensure the equal access for all EU citizens to innovative and more efficient healthcareservices, irrespective of where they are located on the European territory.Thirdly, access to ICT technology does not depend solely on technical development but also on the digital healthliteracy of the population, whether patients or health professionals. Accordingly, the Commission shouldencourage and support member states in implementing awareness raising campaigns and training programmestargeting patients, carers and health professionals. Particular attention must be paid to the older segments of thepopulation as well as the less educated.As a conclusion, a comprehensive initiative boosting data security, an even development of ICT infrastructure,and stakeholders' awareness and education, should be among, if not at the core, of the EU's next actions. Furthermeasures, for example those which will be proposed by the Commission in the announced Communication onthe digital transformation of health and care, should pay particular attention to these aspects. Not only they dopotentially represent significant barriers to digital innovation in healthcare, but more importantly they would, ifneglected, greatly hamper equal access to and overall trust in our health systems.Simona Guagliardo is a Junior Policy Analyst in the Social Europe and Well-being Programme of the EuropeanPolicy Centre.The views expressed in this Policy Brief are the sole responsibility of the author.This Policy Brief builds on the Coalition for Health, Ethics and Society (CHES) activities in the past year. CHES iskindly supported by a non-restricted education grant of Johnson & Johnson, and part of the EPC Social Europe &Well-being Programme.1 Joint Research Centre, European Hospital Survey: Benchmarking Deployment of e-Health Services (2012-2013), 2013, available at:https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/european-hospital-survey-benchmarking-deployment-ehealth-services-2012-20132 European Commission, Flash Eurobarometer 404 European Citizens' Digital Health Literacy, November 2014, available at:http://ec.europa.eu/commfrontoffice/publicopinion/flash/fl_404_en.pdf3 Research2Guidance, mHealth App Developer Economics 2016. The current status and trends of the mHealth app market, October 2016, available at: https://research2guidance.com/r2g/r2g-mHealth-App-Developer-Economics-2016.pdf4 European Commission, The 2015 Ageing Report Economic and budgetary projections for the 28 EU Member States (2013-2060), 2015, available at: http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/publications/european_economy/2015/pdf/ee3_en.pdf5 OECD projections in absence of effective cost containment policies. OECD, Fiscal Sustainability of Health Systems. Bridging Health and FinancePerspectives, 2015, available at: http://www.oecd.org/health/fiscal-sustainability-of-health-systems-9789264233386-en.htm6 Ingo Meyer, Sonja Müller et al., Integrated eCare - A Way Ahead Final report of the CommonWell project, June 2012. 7 Alexander Dobrev et al., The socio-economic impact of interoperable electronic health record (EHR) and ePrescribing systems in Europe andbeyond, October 2009, available at: http://www.ehr-impact.eu/downloads/documents/EHRI_final_report_2009.pdf8 Eurostat, Internet access and use statistics - households and individuals, data extracted in December 2016.9 Joint Research Centre op.cit.

http://aei.pitt.edu/93269/1/pub_8224_digitalhealth.pdf

Digital health: How can the EU help make the most out of it? EPC Policy Brief, 25 January 2018

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Archive of European Integration

Archive of European Integration