Country Correspondent: Roosa Tikkanen
The EU’s Employment, Social Policy, Health, and Consumer Affairs Council has released its latest recommendations on digital health, calling for specific actions by member states and the European Commission. The official statement emphasized that digital tools will maximize opportunities to leverage big data and promote patient-centered and integrated care, transparency, and patient literacy. The council lauded the European eHealth Digital Service Infrastructure, which has enabled cross-border exchange of e-prescriptions and patient summaries; since 2011, Europeans have had the legal right to receive health care in other member countries in addition to their own. The statement also urged member states and the Commission to continue collaborating on the European eHealth Interoperability Framework, disease registries, and other partnerships.
