eHealth in Europe – a status check

The emerging European eHealth system depends on an asynchronous cocktail of technology development cycles, vendor push to adopt new products and solutions, as well as growing patient demands for less anonymous, personalized health intervention. Other factors making an impact are the often-significant divergences in hospital/healthcare cultures across EU Member States, coupled to significant differences in health and technology spending. This has been emphasized by new pressures on budgets and spending, after the end-2008 financial crisis.

The EU Commission has sought to bridge and buffer this array of cross-currents, while seeking to resolutely promote a common but effective eHealth agenda. It has sought to establish enabling rules and guidelines in order to level the playing field and provide transparent incentives for implementing eHealth projects, across the EU