European Commission Policy and Research activities

• Telemedicine for the benefit of patients, healthcare systems and society - EC Communication - July 2008 ()
• Recommendation on cross-border interoperability of electronic health record (EHR) systems  - July 2008 ()
• Proposal for a Directive on the application of patients' rights in cross-border healthcare ()
• Research activities - ICT for Health Projects
• CIP projects - ICT for sustainable and interoperable health services:
  • European Patients Smart Open Services project (epSOS) is a European large scale pilot aiming at developing, testing and validating specifications for interoperability of patients summaries and ePrescriptions.
  • The CALLIOPE Thematic Network is a structured forum, supporting the implementation of interoperable eHealth solutions across Europe developed by the epSOS pilot. (CALLIOPE leaflet)
  • NEXES (Supporting Healthier and Independent Living for Chronic Patients and Elderly) aims at deploying four specific integrated care programs targeting prevalent chronic disorders (well-being and rehabilitation, enhanced care support of unplanned hospitalisations, home hospitalisation and early discharge and support of diagnostic and/or therapeutic procedures).
  • CLEAR (Clinical Leading Environment for the Assessment and validation of Rehabilitation Protocols in home care) project proposes the implementation of a tele-rehabilitation service in four Member States of the European Union, with the ambition to convert the project after its completion and shown feasibility to a European platform to contribute to the harmonization of e-health services in the EU.
• Monthly Focus
  • Telemedicine for the benefit of patients, healthcare systems and society: an overview of the EC-DG Infso activities in Telemedicine since the fourth Framework programme
  • Cross-Border medical assistance – interoperability of eHealth services: European eHealth initiatives to support medical assistance while travelling and living abroad
• eHealth procurers forum: initiative based on ePractice.eu sponsored by the European Commission to help all practitioners involved in procurement of ICT for Health solutions in Europe to meet and share their experiences and knowledge, and to ask and to provide support
• EC General Direction Information Society - ICT for Health unit.
  For more information on the eHealth Policy and Research activities: http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/ehealth
• EC General Direction Health and Consumers - Health Information unit. For more information on the eHealth Policy and related activities: http://ec.europa.eu/health-eu/care_for_me/e-health/index_en.htm
• Publications
  • Legally eHealth: Putting eHealth in its European legal context
  • eHealth in Action - Good Practice in European Countries
  • Semantic Interoperability for Better Health and Safer Healthcare
  • Accelerating the Development of the eHealth Market in Europe