The European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides, was invited on Tuesday 28 February to an event in the European Parliament organised by Tomislav Sokol (EPP, Croatian) on the future ‘European Health Data Space’ (EHDS).
The Commissioner believes that the digital transition is slower in the health care sector than in other sectors.
She pointed to the disparities between Member States, which can lead to health inequalities, the difficulties for patients to access their data and to exercise their rights on the use of this data.
Ms Kyriakides said that despite cooperation initiatives between some countries (e.g. to share electronic prescriptions), the potential of health data is not being fully exploited.
The Commissioner sought to reassure that the EHDS was not intended to impose a one-size-fits-all approach or to create a centralised database at European level. She said that the aim of the proposal for an EHDS was to introduce “common standards that allow Member States to digitalise in the way that works best for them”. “The European Health Data Space will create a strong legal framework for the use of health data”, said the Commissioner.
According to her, the EHDS will make it easier for citizens and innovators to access and control their health data. (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst)