New EU laws allowing patients to travel across borders for health care will be key for the development of e-health services in Europe, according to policymakers. However, incompatible IT systems remain a major obstacle to fulfilling that promise.
Negotiations on the Cross-border Healthcare Directive are expected to be wrapped up by the end of the year and could pave the way for a revolution in health technology.
First, a number of barriers must be overcome, including the lack of interoperability between IT systems used by health services. In some hospitals, the computer software used by the radiology department is not compatible with the system used in the emergency department.
On a grander scale, sharing test results and medical imaging between hospitals can prove challenging, making cross-border cooperation a real challenge. On top of this, language and terminology differences, as well as data protection concerns, make sending information between member states problematic.
There are also calls to amend the new directive to encourage the development of virtual “reference networks,” with industry lobbyists and patient groups arguing that the days of “bricks and mortar” centres of excellence could be over if experts can connect online and access patients from anywhere.
One of the promises of eHealth is to allow patients with rare diseases to access specialist centres from anywhere in Europe. This would save time, money and stress associated with travelling to see specialist doctors. This, say patient advocates, can only be achieved if there is investment in equal education levels and Internet access.
Eur Activ