Description of sessions

I. eHealth for individuals

For individuals, eHealth brings new possibilities in terms of increasing quality and effectiveness of services. eHealth provides completely new methods in treatment of chronic diseases. Within the European context, it can facilitate implementation of cross-border healthcare and contribute to the continuity of care. Therefore, this session will focus on the proposed Directive on application of patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare, communicating eHealth benefits to citizens and on the latest developments regarding the European Commission’s Communication on Telemedicine.

 

I.a eHealth and cross-border healthcare

Access to medical care anywhere in the EU is a justified request of citizens with regard to guaranteed single European area for free movement of goods, people, services and capital. For this purpose, the European Commission has drafted a Directive on application of patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare, which is currently being discussed within the Council and the European Parliament. This section will assess the current state of negotiations with an emphasis on eHealth aspects, especially issues of patient identification, authentification as well as privacy and security.

 

I.b Communicating eHealth benefits to citizens

eHealth contributes to more effective medical care, which has an impact on better and cheaper healthcare for citizens. However, citizens often show mistrust towards new information technologies. In this session, the conference will address the possibilities of citizens’ active participation. It will provide room for presentation of several successful projects and initiatives.

 

I.c Telemedicine initiative: recent developments

The European Commission published its Communication on Telemedicine in November 2008. Its aim is mainly to build confidence in telemedicine services, bringing legal clarity as well as solving technical issues like standardisation and interoperability. In this session, the conference will deal with the latest developments in this area and the outline of Member States national strategies on telemedicine, as they have been called upon by the European Commission in the Communication, as well as presentation of stakeholders ’ views.       

II. eHealth for Society

For society, eHealth represents a challenge for interoperability, e-literacy, and accessibility of new technologies. It also presents great opportunities for research and development. The conference will focus on the centralized/decentralized eHealth solutions and on interoperability.

 

 II.b eHealth services: centralised vs decentralised solutions

An important role while providing eHealth services falls to the issue of personal data security and security and protection of privacy. This session will address electronic health records and relating issues of certification. Examples of centralized approach and decentralized solutions in the Member States will be presented.

 

II.c eHealth interoperability

Insufficient interoperability of eHealth solutions negatively impacts upon optimal use of their potential. That is a continuing message of studies assigned by the European Commission. With respect to the fact that this topic transcends the EU area, this session will also include presentations of non-European stakeholders.        

III. eHealth for economy

eHealth offers solutions that can bring enormous savings. If properly deployed, eHealth could contribute to transformation of the health sector, change substantially business models of healthcare facilities and also have an impact on the behaviour of health insurance companies. This session will address healthcare system transformation, business models of healthcare institutions and financing eHealth projects.

 

III.a eHealth for sustainability: supporting healthcare transformation

Health systems transformation belongs with the pension reforms to main instruments for reduction of national budget deficits. This session will assess reform benefits to the Member States’s  economies and to better healthcare services. Attention will also be paid to the inclusion of all stakeholders to ongoing reform processes.

 

III.b Business models

Introduction of latest ICT in healthcare has, just like in other branches of the economy, a profound effect on the character of business models of healthcare institutions. This session will include contributions of an independent research agency specialized in eHealth European market as well as examples of best practices of the Member States.

 

III.c eHealth funding

The issue of eHealth development is closely linked to the matter of funding of relevant ambitious projects concerning ICT introduction to healthcare. This session will deal with the possibility of eHealth solutions while distributing national funds to the health sector. Also, the use of EU Structural Funds will be addressed, accompanied by examples of best practices of the Member States.