eHEALTH BULGARIA FOUNDATION

The "E-Health Bulgaria" Foundation is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization. It was established with the purpose to boost the development of the e-health on a national level as a part of the electronic government of the Republic of Bulgaria.

The necessity of speeding up the health reform in Bulgaria requires the development of the electronic healthcare as a cornerstone in our health system.

In this process the Foundation collaborates with all participants and interested parties in the healthcare process - Ministry of Healthcare, NHIF /National Health Insurance Fund/, private health insurance funds, hospitals, GPs, pharmacies, laboratories, medical doctors and patients. We have the strong will to partner and join forces with international institutions and associations, the European Commission and other European bodies that focus on the development e-Europe and e-health as one of its vital components. Electronic healthcare covers several aspects - integrated information systems, electronic health records, electronic health cards, e-learning, delivering online health services - towards the development of which, the efforts of the Foundation are targeted.

Electronic healthcare is growing world wide, and particularly in EU, where an Action plan for achievement of European e-health Area was adopted. One of the challenges that stands before the e-health, is to ensure common standards and interoperability of the healthcare products, systems and services on a European level. Considering that Bulgaria will soon join the EU, the timely development of the e-health in the country is advisable.

Our Foundation successfully collaborates with companies like IBM, SAP, Cisco, ICW and 3M, which are the world leaders in implementing e-health solutions in the health sector.

With the joined efforts of the "E-Health Bulgaria" Foundation and all our partners in the administration, health institutes, physicians, patients and companies, the introduction of electronic healthcare turns into an attainable goal for our country.

In its pursuit to work for the acceptance and implementation of a strategy for the development of healthcare and the provision of health services, as well as the speedy penetration of information technologies in this sphere, the Foundation has set the following goals:

• to work together with its partners for faster penetration of the information technologies in healthcare and health services of citizens;
• to contribute to amendments in the legislation in order to support the implementation of the different components of e-health (including electronic health records and electronic health cards);
• to implement projects aiming to increase the quality of healthcare and health services through the use of information technologies and the practical introduction of e-health;
• to realize joined promotional initiatives and present the achievements of EU companies and institutions in e-health, as well as to find suitable ways and formats for adoption and implementation of the European best practices;
• to organize seminars, conferences and forums with the participation of institutions and companies whose aim is to develop e-health;
• to support the introduction and practical development of electronic health records, electronic health cards, online health services, e-learning and other e-health components;
• to actively seek possibilities for participation in the development, application and implementation stages of projects, financed by healthcare donor programs.