eHealth Trends in Europe 2005-2007: A Population-Based Survey

“Background: In the last decade, the number of Internet users worldwide has dramatically increased. People are using the Internet for various health-related purposes. It is important to monitor such use as it may have an impact on the individual’s health and behavior, patient-practitioner roles, and on general health care provision.
Objectives: This study investigates trends and patterns of European health-related Internet use over a period of 18 months. The main study objective was to estimate the change in the proportion of the population using the Internet for health purposes, and the importance of the Internet as a source of health information compared to more traditional sources.
Methods: The survey data were collected through computer-assisted telephone interviews. A representative sample (N = 14,956) from seven European countries has been used: Denmark, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Norway, Poland, and Portugal. The European eHealth Consumer Trends Survey was first conducted in October-November 2005 and repeated in April-May 2007. In addition to providing background information, respondents were asked to rate the importance of various sources of health information. They were also queried as to the frequency of different online activities related to health and illness and the effects of such use on their disposition.
Results: The percentage of the population that has used the Internet for health purposes increased from an estimated 42.3% (95% CI [Confidence Interval] 41.3 - 43.3) in 2005 to an estimated 52.2% (95% CI 51.3 - 53.2) in 2007. Significant growth in the use of the Internet for health purposes was found in all the seven countries. Young women are the most active Internet health users. The importance of the Internet as a source of health information has increased. In 2007, the Internet was perceived as an important source of health information by an estimated 46.8% (95% CI 45.7 - 47.9) of the population, a significant increase of 6.5 % (95% CI 4.9 - 8.1) from 2005. The importance of all the traditional health information channels has either decreased or remained the same. An estimated 22.7% (95% CI 21.7 - 23.6) are using it for more interactive services than just reading health information.
Conclusion: The Internet is increasingly being used as a source of health information by the European population, and its perceived importance is rising. Use of the Internet for health purposes is growing in all age groups and for both men and women, with especially strong growth among young women. We see that experienced Internet health users are also using the Internet as an active communication channel, both for reaching health professionals and for communicating with peers.”
Article
Kummervold PE, Chronaki CE, Lausen B, Prokosch H, Rasmussen J, Santana S, Staniszewski A, Wangberg SC, J Med Internet Res 2008;10(4):e42, doi: 10.2196/jmir.1023

Europe aims to boost telemedicine

“New guidance to improve access to telemedicine for EU citizens and healthcare professionals across Europe has been published.
The European Commission telemedicine communication aims to increase and broaden telemedicine services, including diagnosis, treatment and monitoring at a distance across Europe.”
Article
eHealth Europe, 10 November 2008

Telemedicine for the benefit of patients, healthcare systems and society

“Telemedicine - the provision of healthcare services at a distance - can help improve the lives of European citizens, both patients and health professionals, while tackling the challenges to healthcare systems.
European citizens are getting older and are increasingly living with chronic diseases. Their health condition often requires enhanced medical attention. Medical support may not be available in remote areas and for certain specialities as easily or as frequently as their health condition would require.
Telemedicine can improve access to specialised care in areas suffering from a shortage of expertise, or in areas where access to healthcare is difficult. Telemonitoring can improve the quality of life of chronically ill patients and reduce hospital stays. Services such as teleradiology and teleconsultation can help to shorten waiting lists, optimise the use of resources and enable productivity gains.
The benefits go beyond improving patient care and healthcare system efficiency. Telemedicine can also make a significant contribution to the EU economy. This sector, where European industry - including thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) - is well placed, has been expanding rapidly in the past decade and is expected to continue to grow at a fast pace.
Despite the potential of telemedicine, its benefits and the technical maturity of the applications, the use of telemedicine services is still limited, and the market remains highly fragmented. Although Member States have expressed their commitment to wider deployment of telemedicine, most telemedicine initiatives are no more than one-off, small-scale projects that are not integrated into healthcare systems.”
Communication
The Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, 4 November 2008

Microsoft launches EMEA Health User Group

“A year after Microsoft first announced plans to establish a health user group (HUG) for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), it this week announced the launch of the online forum.
Microsoft EMEA HUG will be managed and run by the US Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HMISS). The official launch was announced this week at HIMSS’ World of Health IT event in Copenhagen.”
Article
eHealth Europe, 7 November 2008

Esko Aho: Financial & Demographic Crises to spur eHealth deployment

“The global financial crisis as well as the growing demographic crisis that is affecting Europe could be the catalyst for European governments to finally embrace electronic healthcare reforms, according to Esko Aho, former Prime Minister of Finland and leading thinker on innovation.”
Article
HealthTechWire, 6 November 2008

EHTEL publishes e-health patient charter

“The European Health Telematics Association (EHTEL) has published a patient charter defending patient’s rights to “switch off e-health technology”.
The charter sets out the potential of e-health to improve healthcare, particularly for older people and those suffering chronic conditions, but says this must not be at the expense of patient’s privacy.”
Article
e-Health Europe, 6 November 2008

Telemedicine: Commission adopts plans to help doctors and patients access healthcare from a distance

“Today, the European Commission adopted a Communication to support and improve access to telemedicine for EU citizens and healthcare professionals across Europe. In response to a call for action from Member States, this initiative aims to increase and broaden telemedicine services, including diagnosis, treatment and monitoring at a distance across Europe. Such services will allow, for example, a patient suffering from a rare retinal disease to be diagnosed in his hometown by a specialist working at a European Centre of Excellence for eye diseases located thousands of kilometres away. Patients with chronic heart failure will be able to have their disease more closely monitored and to enjoy better quality of life while staying at home. The European Commission proposes 10 actions to address the related challenges in the years to come.”
Article
HealthTechWire, 4 November 2008

European Commission allies with HIMSS

“The European Commission has announced it will merge its annual high level ministerial e-health conference with an industry event run by America’s Healthcare Information and Management Society (HIMSS).
The decision would appear to place HIMSS in poll position to dominate future European e-health exhibitions and strengthen its ambitions to grow into the leading professional in Europe. The decision has caused disquiet among some European industry veterans, with one source speaking of a de facto US take over.”
Article
Jon Hoeksma, e-Health Europe, 4 November 2008

Call for common e-health standards

“A new study advocates the development of a common strategy and roadmap for e-health standards development, to support interoperability and the adoption of electronic patient records.”
Article
e-Health Europe, 3 November 2008

eHealth Policy and Research

“For two decades the European Commission has contributed to the improvement of healthcare by supporting the research and development of new technologies that can change the way we get health treatment. With i2010, the Commission’s strategic framework to create a European Information Society for growth and jobs, the focus is now on meeting the health care needs of our ageing population.”
Article
eHealthNews.eu, 3 November 2008

ICT Standards in the Health Sector: Current Situation and Prospects

“This new study about ICT standards in the health sector by empirica provides a structured overview of eHealth standards development and uptake in a European context, paying special attention to standards for electronic health records. The study was commissioned by the European Commission’s Directorate General Enterprise and Industry and explores the current status of ICT health standardisation processes and their future potential.”
Report
European Commission, DG Enterprise & Industry
(thanks to eHealthNews.eu)

How Technology Can Improve The U.S. Health Care System

“”The United States is far behind other countries when it comes to health care,” Deb Levine (Founder, ISIS), told the audience this week at the Health 2.0 Conference in San Francisco, CA.”
Article
Lidija Davis, ReadWriteWeb, 23 October 2008

Perspective: Patients to the front!

“With the Europe for Patients campaign, the European Commission (EC) has launched an initiative and a website which aim to make it clear to the public what the EC does or is planning to do in the field of healthcare. Although it is not an e-health campaign in itself, it is relevant to the sphere of health-IT.”
Article
Philipp Grätzel von Grätz, HealthTech Wire, 23 October 2008

DigiTV receives EC funding for telecare

“A digital TV initiative for public services run by Kirklees Council has won European Commission funding to develop interactive health and social care services.
The European Commission will provide funding to DigiTV as part of a European consortium that is being supported to build and enhance telecare and telehealth provision across Europe.”
Article
e-Health Europe, 21 October 2008

Identity-management factors in e-health and telemedicine applications

“Reliable identification is essential in e-health and telemedicine applications. This necessitates a secure and trustworthy method of communication and collaboration between parties, which depends on common acceptance. This in turn is related to privacy and ethical matters. Different technologies, including biometrics and RFID, allow high levels of security and safety in identifying both human beings and goods. However, the diffusion of standards relating to identity management in e-health is far from satisfactory. In order to support standardization in e-health, the European Commission funded the BioHealth project. This project has proved to be useful in promoting standards and creating awareness among the stakeholders.”
Abstract
Mario Savastano, Asbjorn Hovsto, Peter Pharow and Bernd Blobel, J Telemed Telecare 2008;14:386-388, doi:10.1258/jtt.2008.007014

iSoft to launch RadCentre in the Netherlands

“Health IT specialist iSoft says it will launch its RadCentre radiology information system in the Netherlands this autumn.
RadCentre is a modern, scalable product designed for use in practices and hospitals. The system is said to be in use by more than 200 healthcare organisations across Europe.”
Article
Jon Hoeksma, e-Health Europe, 9 October 2008

Europe launches its healthcare data exchange pilot

“A project involving 12 European countries and supported by the European Commission is taking the lead in ensuring healthcare interoperability in Europe.
The project is akin to the building of a nationwide health information network, or NHIN, that is under way in the United States.
Europe has launched the European Patient Smart Open Services (epSOS) ‘large scale pilot’ on interoperability of national e-health systems, involving 12 EU countries. It is set to run for three years.”
Article
Bernie Monegain, Healthcare IT News.eu, 6 October 2008

EFMI STC 2008 - day 2

“We had an excellent gala conference dinner at the New Connaught Rooms on Wednesday evening. Due to trying to get things to work properly on the BCS wireless and Ethernet networks, I was not able to take notes on the session by Celia Boyer and Petra Wilson on �Trustworthiness in the age of Web 2.0?; however, they covered the Health on the Net code and related issues , and generated discussion of how we might �kitemark� reliable websites that are Web 2.0-based and on which content might be changing rapidly.”
Article
Peter, hi-blogs.info, 25 September 2008

�Speech recognition can bring standardization� (VoiceIt Interview)

“From a tool that was once predominantly used by radiologists, speech recognition is now enjoying much wider usage. All over Europe, hospitals and even regional networks are introducing the technology in order to improve the documentation workflow. According to Marcel Wassink, Managing Director of Philips Speech Recognition Systems, and Robert Thornton, the company�s Commercial Director, speech recognition could also be used as a vehicle to support cross-border interoperability in Europe.”
Article
HealthTech Wire, 24 September 2008

SHARE the Journey: A European Healthgrid Roadmap

“Grid technology, one of the key technologies for the �European Research Area�, offers rapid computation, large scale data storage and flexible collaboration by harnessing together the power of large numbers of computers, from end-users� desktops to powerful workstations and clusters of more powerful machines.”
Report
Mark Olive, Hanene Rahmouni and Tony Solomonides based on I. Andoulsi; I. Blanquer; V. Breton ; A. Dobrev; C. Van Doosselaere; V. Hernandez; J. Herveg; N. Jacq; Y. Legr�; M. Olive; H. Rahmouni; T. Solomonides; K. Stroetmann; V. Stroetmann; P. Wilson, European Commission, October 2008

UK doctors demand IT for cross-border care

“The British Medical Association has called for a single web-portal to be created to provide European citizens with information on cross-border care.
In its response to the European Commission�s proposal for a directive on the application of patients� rights to cross-border healthcare, the BMA, which represents UK doctors, says patients will need much more information than is being proposed at the moment to make their rights effective.”
Article
e-Health Europe, 11 September 2008

Platform for wearable health devices launched

“Irish developer Realtime Technologies has launched a new hardware research platform called Shimmer, designed for wearable health sensing in both connected and wireless environments.
Shimmer stands for Sensing Health with Intelligence, Modularity, Mobility, and Experimental Reusability, and uses Intel technology to help find new ways to monitor vital signs from devices worn by patients.”
Article
e-Health Europe, 30 July 2008

Microsoft Amalga for European Health Providers

“Microsoft announced the European availability of Microsoft Amalga, the new unified intelligence system that allows hospital enterprises to unlock the power of all their data sitting in isolated clinical, financial and administrative solutions. Microsoft is also implementing a European Amalga early adopter customer programme, in which it will work with health providers to implement and deploy Amalga in various healthcare scenarios.”
Article
eHealthNews.eu, 23 July 2008

Three standard types needed for e-health

“A sub-group of the European Standardisation Organisations alliance has published a paper warning of gaps and overlaps in existing e-health standards.
The group, known as eHealth-INTEROP, says three types of standard need to be focused on to enable the achievement of interoperability in e-health � base standards, profiles and interoperability specifications.”
Article
e-Health Europe, 16 July 2008

Online pharmacies a ‘counterfeiting superhighway’

“Over 60% of medicines purchased online are fake and could potentially be lethal for vulnerable patients, says a new report by the European Alliance for Access to Safe Medicines (EAASM).
In a study of over 100 online pharmacies selling 30 commonly purchased prescription-only medicines, the alliance found that 62% of the medicines were counterfeit and 95.6% of the online pharmacies were operating illegally. Most sold medicines without a prescription that would normally be needed for the drugs.”
Article
e-Health Europe, 8 July 2008

Commission Recommendation on Cross-Border Interoperability of Electronic Health Record Systems

“The Commission Recommendation on cross-border interoperability of electronic health record systems (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Recommendation’) has been drafted as a follow-up to the Community eHealth Action Plan which, in 2004, defined interoperability of electronic health records as one of the priorities for Member States in the roadmap annexed to the Action Plan.”
Report
EU, July 2008

Coincidence?

I was invited to speak at the BCS Primary Health Care Specialist Group summer conference last Tuesday, July 1. Due to my medical condition I had to send my speech by video. The conference dealt with sharing and caring and I was asked to look at the international aspects.

Unfortunately I missed Sir Graeme Catto’s address,� but already had an inkling of what he was going to say from his speech at our annual ICMCC event a couple of weeks ago.

In my speech at the PHCSG I mentioned the fact that already in 2004 the European Commission told me that in 2008 I would have my EHR available accessible across the border when travelling. Which I doubted:

Four years ago, a high official of the European Commission told me that by 2008 it would be possible for me to be on vacation in Portugal and my Dutch EHR could be viewed by a medical professional in case something should happen to me. I told him that I did not agree with that vision. Technically we might be able to do so in four years time, but due to the fact that in 2000 the European Union had decided that health is a national affair as well as the fact that we still had immense ontological problems to overcome, I didn�t expect it would happen.

To my amazement, one day later, the European Commission aims for borderless electronic health records.

Read the rest of this entry »

Commission adopts proposal for directive on patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare

“As part of the Renewed Social Agenda, the Commission adopted today a proposal for a directive to facilitate the application of European patients’ rights in relation to cross-border healthcare, as well as a Communication on improving co-operation between Member States in this area. Despite several clear European Court of Justice rulings confirming that the EU Treaty gives individual patients the right to seek healthcare in other Member States and be reimbursed at home, uncertainty remains over how to apply the principles of this jurisprudence more generally. With this proposal the Commission aims to provide legal certainty on this issue. This follows calls from both the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers for the Commission to propose a specific initiative on cross-border healthcare, in a way explicitly adapted to, and respecting, the unique nature of the healthcare sector. In addition, the proposed Directive provides a solid basis to unlock the huge potential for European cooperation to help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of all EU health systems.”
Article
European Commission, 2 July 2008

Europe aims for borderless electronic health records

“The European Commission has launched two major e-health initiatives aimed at achieving interoperable e-health systems across Europe beginning with cross-border electronic health records, able to support citizens who require medical treatment while travelling or living abroad.
The announcements focus on extremely ambitious plans for a large scale pilot project � called SOS - involving 12 member states and is intended to pave the way to pan-European, multi-lingual emergency patient records that will eventually link with national pharmacy systems.”
Article
e-Health Europe, 2 July 2008

�Don�t Delay eHealth� advises Health First Europe

“Health First Europe calls today on the European Union to facilitate the development and integration of eHealth into the provision of day-to-day healthcare services. The announcement comes on the eve of the Commission�s highly anticipated Recommendation on interoperability, defined as �the connecting of healthcare workers, systems and services�, which is crucial for quality European healthcare.”
Article
HealthTechWire, 1 July 2008