The European Commission is calling for better use of technology to improve healthcare, empower patients and save lives. It highlighted several success stories, at a recent eHealth conference in Norway, which show that the European Union’s research and technology initiatives are reaping rewards for society. At the recent eHealth conference in Tromso (NO), European Commissioners called on governments and the private sector to make better use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in Europe's healthcare systems. The Commission underlined how ICT can improve healthcare, reduce the scope for medical errors and save European lives. “The European approach to eHealth should be about spending euros on patients, not on paperwork!” commented Viviane Reding, European Commissioner for Information Society and Media, at the conference. For example, electronic medical records can help doctors diagnose illness and prescribe treatments more accurately, thus reducing medical errors, she added. “Electronic patient referrals in Denmark are saving €1 million a year, and this could rise to €3.5 million, if all referrals were sent electronically,” the Commissioner pointed out. eHealth can also empower European patients who increasingly want to play an active role in decisions relating to their health. Better access to high-quality health information is key to this.As part of its current eHealth action plan, the Commission plans to launch a Health Portal later this year – what it calls a ‘one-stop-shop’ for health information produced by the EU and a gateway to websites hosted by national and regional health authorities and civil society groups in the health field. Source www.evropa.bg |