There is an emphasis on digitising healthcare across member states within the context of the overarching digital market strategy. The goal of these efforts is to strengthen health infrastructure, with a particular focus on personalised healthcare and the prevention of rare, infectious and complex diseases.
There should also be moves facilitate cross-border application of innovative medical devices and the implementation of the Eudamed comprehensive EU-wide database of standardised diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
Eudamed is expected to improve detection of diagnostically challenging diseases and reduce safety issues associated with variable care quality. The Commission will seek to work with member states that show interest in this initiative, to ensure safe cross-border transfer of electronic health records. These efforts will also open a new avenue for implementation of big data in medicine.
In response to data protection and privacy concerns the Commission said: “The Commission could initiate infringement procedures if it finds evidence that current rules on the free movement of services are not properly implemented. In addition, the Commission will closely monitor how member states will apply the specification clauses in the General Data Protection Regulation, for instance in relation to genetic, biometric and health data, to ensure that the free movement of personal data within the EU is not inappropriately restricted.”
The Commission will adopt a communication in 2017 addressing the need and scope for further measures in the area of digital health and care, in line with legislation on the protection of personal data, patient rights and electronic identification. In particular this will look at citizens´ secure access to electronic health records and the possibility of sharing it across borders; the use of e-prescriptions; the supporting data infrastructure, to advance research, disease prevention and personalised health and care in key areas including rare, infectious and complex diseases; facilitating feedback and interaction between patients and healthcare providers, to support prevention and citizen empowerment as well as quality and patient-centred care, focussing on chronic diseases and on a better understanding of the outcomes of healthcare systems.
For more information about the project and link to the full midterm review report: https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/content/mid-term-review-digital-single-market-dsm-good-moment-take-stock
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