Member States making 'good progress' on e-health initiative, says new report
EU Member States are making 'good progress' towards the goals of the e-health initiative that is intended to improve healthcare in Europe through innovative information technology-based solutions. The report, 'eHealth priorities and strategies in European countries', praises Member States for the steps they have taken since committing themselves to implementing the priorities of the 2004 European e-Health Action Plan. 'This study confirms that good progress on these strategies and roadmaps has been made across the continent,' said Viviane Reding, European Commissioner for Information Society and Media. 'Furthermore, by providing a transparent view of the current eHealth national landscapes, there is now more potential for working together in a clear and synergistic way,' she added Adopted in 2004, the European e-Health Action Plan sought to raise awareness among citizens and governments of the benefits and opportunities of e-health. These include national e-health infrastructure systems to serve all healthcare providers, electronic health records and patient summaries, interoperability, and support for mobile citizens and professionals. According to the report by the eHealth European Research Area (ERA) team on behalf of the European Commission's DG information Society and Media, an important step towards wider deployment of e-health solutions has been made. Over the last few years, most of the European countries surveyed for the report have published specific e-health strategies, roadmaps, or action plans closely aligned with the priorities set out in the e-Health Action Plan. 'eHealth is increasingly becoming an integral element of national health system objectives. It is seen as a key enabler in wider contexts like improving the quality and efficiency of public services, or speeding up the development towards knowledge driven societies,' states the report.