The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of digital services in health, but complex rules and increasing cyberattacks make it difficult to share data across Member States; the EHDS, based on several regulations, provides tailor-made rules for the health sector and will leverage technologies such as artificial intelligence, and cloud computing to improve security and interoperability. The goal of the European Health Data Space (EHDS) is to improve the use of health data for research, innovation and policymaking. At the same time, Europeans should have more control over the use of their own health data. The target audience includes patients, healthcare professionals and researchers in different Member States of the European Union.
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Home / Publications / Publication
EUROPEAN HEALTH DATA SPACE: UNIFIED ACCESS TO HEALTH DATA IN THE EU
Publication type: News Summary
Original title: EU Health Data Space: access to your health data across the EU
News publication date: 14 December 2023
Source: European Parliament
What is the goal and target audience?
The goal of the European Health Data Space (EHDS) is to improve the use of health data for research, innovation and policymaking. At the same time, Europeans should have more control over the use of their own health data. The target audience includes patients, healthcare professionals and researchers in different Member States of the European Union.
What is the context?
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of digital services in health, but complex rules and increasing cyberattacks make it difficult to share data across Member States; the EHDS, based on several regulations, provides tailor-made rules for the health sector and will leverage technologies such as artificial intelligence, and cloud computing to improve security and interoperability.
What is the initiative?
The initiative consists of the proposal on EHDS presented by the European Commission that establishes a common European format for health data. The EHDS will empower individuals to control their health data and facilitate the secure exchange of data, fostering a single market for electronic health record systems and providing a trustworthy and efficient system for reusing secure health data for research, innovation, policymaking, and regulatory activities.
What are the impacts?
For citizens: EU citizens will be able to access their health data in electronic form immediately and without any costs. Health data – such as patient summaries, electronic prescriptions, laboratory results and discharge reports – will be available in a common European format that can be shared with health professionals within the patient’s country or cross-border. In this way, people will not have to worry about having access to health services when travelling within the EU.
Security and privacy issues: While researchers and public institutions will be able to use some health data, the rules include strong data protection safeguards. No personal information will be shared. Patients will have a say on how their data is used or accessed and will be able to add information, rectify wrong data, restrict access to others and obtain information on how their data are used and for which purposes.
For health professionals and researchers: The new rules provide for the secure use of health data for better healthcare, research, and policymaking. Since there will be a common European format, health professionals will have faster access to a patient’s health records, even if the patient is from another EU country. Better access and exchange of health data will result in faster and cheaper administrative procedures. Researchers will have better, faster, cheaper and more effective access to health data of higher quality. This will enable them to improve treatments.
Would you like to know all the details?
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Do you have an innovative idea in healthcare field?
Share it with us and see it come to life.
We will help bring your projects to life!
Home / Publications / Publication
EUROPEAN HEALTH DATA SPACE: UNIFIED ACCESS TO HEALTH DATA IN THE EU
Publication type: News Summary
Original title: EU Health Data Space: access to your health data across the EU
News publication date: 14 December 2023
Source: European Parliament
What is the goal and target audience?
The goal of the European Health Data Space (EHDS) is to improve the use of health data for research, innovation and policymaking. At the same time, Europeans should have more control over the use of their own health data. The target audience includes patients, healthcare professionals and researchers in different Member States of the European Union.
What is the context?
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of digital services in health, but complex rules and increasing cyberattacks make it difficult to share data across Member States; the EHDS, based on several regulations, provides tailor-made rules for the health sector and will leverage technologies such as artificial intelligence, and cloud computing to improve security and interoperability.
What is the initiative?
The initiative consists of the proposal on EHDS presented by the European Commission that establishes a common European format for health data. The EHDS will empower individuals to control their health data and facilitate the secure exchange of data, fostering a single market for electronic health record systems and providing a trustworthy and efficient system for reusing secure health data for research, innovation, policymaking, and regulatory activities.
What are the impacts?
For citizens: EU citizens will be able to access their health data in electronic form immediately and without any costs. Health data – such as patient summaries, electronic prescriptions, laboratory results and discharge reports – will be available in a common European format that can be shared with health professionals within the patient’s country or cross-border. In this way, people will not have to worry about having access to health services when travelling within the EU.
Security and privacy issues: While researchers and public institutions will be able to use some health data, the rules include strong data protection safeguards. No personal information will be shared. Patients will have a say on how their data is used or accessed and will be able to add information, rectify wrong data, restrict access to others and obtain information on how their data are used and for which purposes.
For health professionals and researchers: The new rules provide for the secure use of health data for better healthcare, research, and policymaking. Since there will be a common European format, health professionals will have faster access to a patient’s health records, even if the patient is from another EU country. Better access and exchange of health data will result in faster and cheaper administrative procedures. Researchers will have better, faster, cheaper and more effective access to health data of higher quality. This will enable them to improve treatments.
Would you like to know all the details?
Autonomous Robotics System for Autism Therapy
Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition with significant clinical, social and economic repercussions throughout life. According to the World Health Organization, it is estimated to affect approximately 1 in 160 children worldwide. Its origin…
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COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, is a highly contagious disease with the potential to cause serious complications, requiring the isolation of infected individuals and appropriate clinical follow-up. While severe cases require hospitalization, patients with…
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Healthcare-associated infections pose a serious public health threat, as they are acquired during medical treatments or hospital stays, often leading to prolonged hospitalizations, high costs for healthcare systems and high mortality rates. Portugal has one…
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Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting more than 55 million people globally and accounting for around 70 percent of dementia cases. In Portugal, it is estimated that 200,000 people live with…
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Portugal has one of the highest aging populations in the world, placing increasing pressure on elderly care services, especially in nursing homes. Healthcare professionals in these facilities are often overwhelmed due to the increasing number…
The Challenges of Data Protection in Digital Health Platforms for the Elderly
Demographic ageing poses significant challenges to healthcare systems, intensifying the pressure on infrastructures and human resources. It is estimated that by 2050 the elderly population will exceed 2 billion people, making it imperative to implement…
Facilitating Epilepsy Diagnosis With a Wireless and Wearable EEG System
Paroxysmal diseases are characterized by sudden, episodic conditions that cause temporary changes in the body. Among them, epilepsy stands out for causing synchronous and uncontrolled neuronal discharges, resulting in recurrent and unprovoked seizures. These seizures…
Automatic Segmentation of Blood Vessels in Carotid Ultrasound Images
Vascular diseases, such as carotid stenosis (narrowing of the carotid arteries, which connect the heart to the brain, caused by the accumulation of fatty atheroma plaques), cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) (sudden interruption of blood flow to…
Impact of Robotherapy-PARO on Elderly People With Dementia in Portugal
Aging is a gradual, multifactorial and continuous process characterized by the progressive loss of biological function and degeneration associated with the onset of age-related diseases. In Portugal, the aging of the population is particularly noticeable,…
New Era of Interoperability in Healthcare Systems
The growing use of electronic health records, digital diagnostic systems and remote monitoring technologies has led to a significant increase in the volume and complexity of health data. This increase intensifies the need for continuous,…
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Breast-conserving surgery aims to remove tumors while preserving as much healthy breast tissue as possible, ensuring optimal aesthetic outcomes that are critical for a patient’s quality of life. To achieve this objective, precise location of…
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Workers face growing challenges in the industrial environment. Among the most critical are fatigue and inappropriate postures, often associated with repetitive tasks and working conditions that lack ergonomic suitability. These factors represent significant risks for…
The Role of Mobile Technologies in the Monitoring and Rehabilitation of Peripheral Arterial Disease
PAD is a prevalent chronic condition, affecting approximately 200 million individuals globally, characterized by obstruction of the peripheral arteries, especially in the lower extremities, due to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, which compromise blood flow…
Incorporation of Digital Implants Into CT Images to Plan Orthopedic Surgery
Orthopedic surgery addresses conditions of the musculoskeletal system to alleviate pain, restore function, and enhance the patient’s quality of life. Its success relies on meticulous pre-operative planning that incorporates clinical data and patient-specific imaging to…
Digital Health at the Top of the National Poliempreende 2024 Results
Poliempreende is a consolidated national network for encouraging entrepreneurship in higher education in Portugal, with two decades of existence. Focused on promoting innovation, the competition has had a significant impact on the national economy, with…
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Many patients face difficulties scheduling medical appointments in hospital units, and, when successful, they often endure long waiting times to be attended. This situation is aggravated by problems such as the incompatibility of schedules between…
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In recent years, digital transformation in healthcare has played a crucial role, driven by the exponential increase in medical data. This ranges from administrative information to detailed records of diagnoses, laboratory tests, medical images and…
ULS Almada-Seixal Revolutionizes With the Region’s First Surgical Robot
In recent years, ULSAS has been gradually implementing robotic systems, reinforcing its commitment to innovation and improving healthcare. Recently, the institution acquired a state-of-the-art robotic system, developed under the concept of an ‘immersive intuitive interface’,…
Online Intervention Aims to Prevent Anxiety in the General Population
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Facial paralysis, defined by the inability to move one or both sides of the face, has an incidence of 20 to 30 cases per 100,000 people annually. This condition often causes facial weakness, difficulties in…
Detection of Anxiety and Panic Attacks in Real Time
The growing number of people with anxiety disorders, along with increased awareness of mental health, drives the need for new technological tools that provide remote and continuous monitoring of anxiety and panic disorders. Thus, the…
A Novel Approach for Robotic-assisted Tele-echography
Currently, robotic systems for ultrasound diagnostic procedures fall into two main categories: portable robots that require manual positioning and fully autonomous robotic systems that independently control the ultrasound probe’s orientation and positioning. Portable robots rely…
From Big Data to Big Decisions: How AI Stratifies Cancer Cases by Risk Factors
The CLARIFY Decision Support Platform (DSP) is a responsive web application designed to support decision-making in cancer care through real-time data integration and predictive analytics. Built on Big Data Europe, the platform integrates a variety…
From “Free Text” to Structured Clinical Data: the Foundation for Clinical Decision Support Systems
Currently, the practice of recording clinical information in “free text” offers flexibility, but hinders automatic data extraction, limiting the application of analytical models. Most records are unstructured, and the use of non-standard abbreviations increases ambiguity,…
Artificial Intelligence used in Depression Detection in Cancer Survivors
The goal of the FAITH project (Federated Artificial Intelligence solution for moniToring mental Health status after cancer treatment) is to remotely identify and predict depressive symptoms in cancer survivors using a federated machine learning approach…
Integration of SONHO v2 and SClínico Systems at ULS of Coimbra to Improve Healthcare Services
With more than half a million hospital medical consultations carried out in the first half of 2024, the ULS of Coimbra stands out as an institution dedicated to integrated, high-quality and patient-centered healthcare, with 8…
Elderly Care Ecosystem: an Innovative Platform for Personalized and Efficient Services
The Elderly Care Ecosystem (ECE) is an integration of various digital health technologies, exploring the areas of telehealth and predictive analytics. The goal of this ecosystem is to improve the quality of life for elderly…
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The SCAARF technology aims to offer an alternative method to alleviate anxiety symptoms in a non-intrusive and subconscious way. This technology is an innovative idea in the field of digital health and wearable technology, designed…
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Margarida Tavares spoke at the opening of the conference ” O Digital na promoção contínua da saúde e do bem-estar”, organized by the Associação para a Promoção e Desenvolvimento da Sociedade da Informação (APDSI) and…
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Do you have an innovative idea in healthcare field?
Share it with us and see it come to life.
We will help bring your projects to life!