This document discusses the need for increased interoperability and cooperation on eHealth initiatives between European countries. It notes that European citizens are more mobile, national borders are less visible, and healthcare providers operate cross-border, creating challenges around differences in legislation, language barriers, and technical systems. It outlines various levels where European cooperation on eHealth has been established, including policy setting, strategic, and operational levels. Finally, it suggests that further political leadership is needed to develop eHealth services based on public health needs and that cooperation on eHealth requires addressing issues like legal clarifications, building trust, data protection, and financial sustainability.

1. From national to European
interoperability
Daniel Forslund
Head of Section for eHealth Policy
Ministry of Health and Social Affairs

2. Europe without boarders?
• New expectations must be met to ensure
patient safety and continuity of care:
• European citizens more mobile
• National boarders less visible
• Care providers operate cross-boarder
• Obvious challenges:
• Differences in legislation
• Language barriers
• Multitude of technical systems

3. European cooperation on eHealth
established at all levels
Policy-setting level:
- Council Conclusions on Safe and efficient healthcare through
eHealth adopted 1 December 2009
Strategic level:
- European eHealth Governance Initiative
Operational level:
- epSOS – Smart Open Services for European Patients
- regional and research projects

4. A new political mandate for
European cooperation
The EPSCO Council of European Health Ministers:
• RECOGNISES the importance of eHealth as a tool to improve
quality and patient safety, to modernise national healthcare
systems, to increase their effectiveness and make them more
accessible to all and better adapted to meet the individual needs of
patients, health professionals and the challenges of an ageing
society;
• RECOGNISES the need for further political leadership and to
integrate eHealth into health policy in order to develop eHealth
services on the basis of public health needs;

5. A new agenda for Member States?
• Cooperation on eHealth goes beyond eHealth!
• New questions needs attention from MoH:
• legal clarifications
• building trust and acceptance
• data protection, authentication and integrity
• semantics and terminology
• reform ways of working
• organisational change
• financial sustainability