eHealth & Equity in the Global eHealth & Equity in the Global Health CommunitiesHealth Communities

Unit H1 – ICT for HealthUnit H1 – ICT for Health

DG INFSO. European CommissionDG INFSO. European Commission

Brussels, Thursday 15 December 2011Brussels, Thursday 15 December 2011

Gisele.Roesems@ec.europa.eu

••• 2

Council of European Union Council of European Union

In 2006 the Council of the European Union agreed to a set of Common Values and Principles in EU Health Systems The overarching values are:

Universality, Access to good quality care, Equity, Solidarity

The operating principles are:

Quality, Safety, Care that is based on evidence and ethics, Patient involvement, Redress when things go wrong, Privacy and Confidentiality

••• 3

Health inequity in EUHealth inequity in EU

Life expectancy gaps: Between EU Member States there is a 5-fold difference in deaths of babies under one year of age, a 14 year gap in life expectancy at birth for men and an 8 year gap for women

Large differences (up to 20 years) in the number of years lived in good health (Healthy Life Years)

Significant economic costs: Health inequalities related losses have a significant impact on productivity - estimated to cost around €141 billion annually

Increased poverty and social exclusion: Health, poverty and social exclusion are strongly interrelated

••• 4

Some facts - Challenges for Some facts - Challenges for European Health SystemsEuropean Health Systems

Pressure on healthcare systems:

Citizens’ expectations for high-quality care

Demographic changes

Increased prevalence of chronic diseases

Increased mobility of citizens and patients

Staff shortages, unequal territorial distribution

Reactive model of healthcare delivery

Rising healthcare costs

How to offer high-quality &

affordable care?

How to offer high-quality &

affordable care?

••• 5

eHealth for equity!eHealth for equity!(Public consultation: stakeholders’ opinion on benefits)(Public consultation: stakeholders’ opinion on benefits)

a. Improving the quality of healthcare services delivery

129 63.23%

b. Reducing costs and contributing to the sustainability of healthcare systems

109 53.43%

c. Ensuring wider access to health-related information by patients, healthcare professionals and other key actors

88 43.13%

d. Enhancing learning opportunities for healthcare professionals

44 21.56%

e. Improving access to services 3919,11%

f. Providing a tangible benefit to society as a whole 22 10,23%

g. Increasing equity 17 8.33%

h. No potential benefits envisioned 3 1,72%

••• 6

Europe 2020: Digital AgendaDirective EU 2011/24

Patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare, eHealth Network:

-Minimum health data-Use of medical information-Common identification and

authentication

eHealth Strategic Framework

eGovernment:-eID

-eSignature eHealth action plan:-Legal issues

-User acceptance-Interoperability

Data protection DirectiveEU Standardisation framework

European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing

Included key actions 13 and 14 of the Digital Agenda

eHealth task force

••• 7

Digital Agenda for Europe Digital Agenda for Europe eHealth Actions eHealth Actions

Action 75

Work with Member States to equip Europeans with secure online access to their medical health data by 2015

By 2020 widespread deployment of telemedicine services;

Action 76

Propose a recommendation to define a minimum common set of patient data to be accessed/exchanged across Member States by 2012;

Action 77

Foster EU wide standards, interoperability testing and certification of eHealth systems by 2015;

••• 8

eHealth for health – a look ahead eHealth for health – a look ahead

eHealth Governance Initiative A mechanism to link operational projects to political objectives

Facilitate cooperation between MS at three levels:

Political

Strategic

Operational (epSOS and similar future initiatives)

Make sure that initiatives like epSOS are noted and taken up by decision makers at national level

Participants: Member States Representatives + stakeholders

Link with eHealth Network Art 14 (?)

Timeline: 2011 for 3 years

••• 9

EIP Active Health Ageing - AIMEIP Active Health Ageing - AIM

To add 2 years to the average healthy lifespan in the EU by 2020 by

Developing innovative products and services for longer healthier lives

Helping social and healthcare systems to be sustainable,

Spur innovation and encourage competitive markets

••• 10

EIP AHA – Main areas of EIP AHA – Main areas of workwork

Innovation in Prevention and Early Diagnosis

Framework Conditions and Evidence

Innovation in

Care & Cure

••• 11

EIP: First set of actions 2012 EIP: First set of actions 2012

Innovative ways to ensure patients follow their prescriptions – a concerted action in at least 30 European regions;

Innovative solutions to prevent falls and support early diagnosis for older people;

Co-operation to help prevent functional decline and frailty, with a particular focus on malnutrition;

Spread and promote successful innovative integrated care models for chronic diseases amongst older patients, such as through remote monitoring. Action should be taken in a number of the EU’s regions;

Improve the uptake of interoperable ICT independent living solutions through global standards to help older people stay independent, mobile and active for longer.

http://ec.europa.eu/research/innovation-union/index_en.cfm?section=active-healthy-ageing&pg=implementation-plan

••• 12

Conclusions Conclusions

Healthcare systems are under pressure, EC is committed to support stakeholders in meeting these challenges.

eHealth can help

Same challenges can be best answered by cooperation and sharing experiences –

Partnership between stakeholder local, regional, national and global level is key to achieve success

••• 13

Annual event: eHealth WeekAnnual event: eHealth Week

Programme, Satellite meetings, Exhibition, Networking, Social events, etc:

www.ehealthweek.org

History of the eHealth Ministerial conferences since 2003:

http://ec.europa.eu/ehealthweek

••• 14

Thank you!Thank you!

For further information:

INFSO ICT for Health Policy & Research:

http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/ehealth

eHealth Weeks (ministerial + WoHIT)http://ec.europa.eu/ehealthweek

Interactive Portal/Examples:

http://www.epractice.euwww.good-ehealth.orgwww.eHealth-impact.org