Patient Perspectives on Healthcare in Europe. Bedlington N. eHealth week 2010 (Barcelona: CCIB Convention Centre; 2010)

1. European Patients’ Forum’s
Perspective – Cross Border
Healthcare and eHealth
Nicola Bedlington, EPF Director
17 March 2010

2. o High quality, patient-centred
equitable healthcare across the
EU
o Strong and united voice
o Umbrella body of 42 European
disease specific patients’
organisations and national
coalitions
o 150 million EU patients with
chronic conditions

3. eHealth a priority for EPF
• Huge potential if appropriately harnessed
• Patient-centred disease management; patient -
healthcare professional dialogue; personalised
healthcare; cross border mobility; quality and
continuity of care and patient safety,
• Sustainability of health systems
• Much EPF Policy and Programme activity on
eHealth
• Important Spanish Presidency has identified
eHealth as a priority
• eHealth governance is here to stay !!

4. Directive – Patients Rights in
Cross Border Healthcare
• Bedrock for eHealth
• Inherent to Commission original proposal
• Reinforced in European Parliament
• Weakened in December Compromise Text
despite clear competence in eHealth
• Principles of quality and safety in healthcare
June 2006 Council Conclusions
• Count on Spanish and future Presidencies to
advance on this –strengthen text - reinforce
comitology

5. EPF Activities on eHealth
• CALLIOPE
• RENEWING HEALTH
• CHAIN OF TRUST
• Electronic Health Records etc
• ICT as part of a comprehensive information to
patients strategy
• Strong relationship with other eHealth
stakeholders – and industry

6. Rationale behind EPF’s
engagement on eHealth
• Our members’ belief that eHealth solutions can
only work if patients are involved meaningfully
from inception to delivery
• Value + has provided a model on patient
involvement - added value in EU projects
And policies......
• Exciting new development – eHealth
governance
• eHealth Joint Action/Thematic Network

7. eHealth Governance-
Involvement of Stakeholders
• Fundamental to address some of the core
challenges
• Bridging the gap between policy-makers and
stakeholders
• Meeting the needs of users
• CONFIDENCE, ACCEPTANCE, ETHICAL
ISSUES
• Channelling expertise and good practice
• Mobilising constituencies at all levels

8. Added Value-stakeholder
involvement
• Pharmaceutical Forum-Ministerial Conclusions
• EUNetPAS Joint Action on Patient Safety
• European Medicines Agency - patients and
consumers working party
• EU Health Policy Forum
• eHealth Users Stakeholder Group

9. Conclusions and Way Forward
• Technologies to develop from needs - not the
way round – user-led, societal
• EPF and other stakeholders -a strong and
resourced strategic role in eHealth governance
– same path to be followed at MS level
• Meaningful patient involvement in eHealth calls
built into application and evaluation processes
• Quality of Life Indicators for evaluating
technologies
• eHealth Literacy vital

10. More information
www.eu-patient.eu
info@eu-patient.eu
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