European Patients’ Forum’s

Perspective – Cross Border

Healthcare and eHealth

Nicola Bedlington, EPF Director

17 March 2010

o High quality, patient-centred equitable healthcare across the EU

o Strong and united voice

o Umbrella body of 42 European disease specific patients’ organisations and national coalitions

o 150 million EU patients with chronic conditions

eHealth a priority for EPF

• Huge potential if appropriately harnessed

• Patient-centred disease management; patient -

healthcare professional dialogue; personalised

healthcare; cross border mobility; quality and

continuity of care and patient safety,

• Sustainability of health systems

• Much EPF Policy and Programme activity on

eHealth

• Important Spanish Presidency has identified

eHealth as a priority

• eHealth governance is here to stay !!

Directive – Patients Rights in

Cross Border Healthcare • Bedrock for eHealth

• Inherent to Commission original proposal

• Reinforced in European Parliament

• Weakened in December Compromise Text

despite clear competence in eHealth

• Principles of quality and safety in healthcare

June 2006 Council Conclusions

• Count on Spanish and future Presidencies to

advance on this –strengthen text - reinforce

comitology

EPF Activities on eHealth

• CALLIOPE

• RENEWING HEALTH

• CHAIN OF TRUST

• Electronic Health Records etc

• ICT as part of a comprehensive information to

patients strategy

• Strong relationship with other eHealth

stakeholders – and industry

Rationale behind EPF’s

engagement on eHealth• Our members’ belief that eHealth solutions can

only work if patients are involved meaningfully

from inception to delivery

• Value + has provided a model on patient

involvement - added value in EU projects

And policies......

• Exciting new development – eHealth

governance

• eHealth Joint Action/Thematic Network

eHealth Governance-

Involvement of Stakeholders• Fundamental to address some of the core

challenges

• Bridging the gap between policy-makers and

stakeholders

• Meeting the needs of users

• CONFIDENCE, ACCEPTANCE, ETHICAL

ISSUES

• Channelling expertise and good practice

• Mobilising constituencies at all levels

Added Value-stakeholder

involvement

• Pharmaceutical Forum-Ministerial Conclusions

• EUNetPAS Joint Action on Patient Safety

• European Medicines Agency - patients and

consumers working party

• EU Health Policy Forum

• eHealth Users Stakeholder Group

Conclusions and Way Forward

• Technologies to develop from needs - not the

way round – user-led, societal

• EPF and other stakeholders -a strong and

resourced strategic role in eHealth governance

– same path to be followed at MS level

• Meaningful patient involvement in eHealth calls

built into application and evaluation processes

• Quality of Life Indicators for evaluating

technologies

• eHealth Literacy vital

More information

www.eu-patient.eu

info@eu-patient.eu

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