Implementation of EHDS across Member States: Is it really feasible?’

EIT Health Belgium-Netherlands to Host EHDS Round Table in Brussels

EIT Health Belgium-Netherlands is gearing up for an insightful European Health Data Space (EHDS) Round Table set to take place on 11 October 2023, in Brussels, Belgium. This event will shine a spotlight on Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands’ readiness for the EHDS, a transformative initiative set to revolutionize the healthcare landscape across Europe.

In preparation for this Round Table series taking place in 10 different Member States, EIT Health interviewed Mr. Andrzej Rys, the Principal Scientific Advisor at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (SANTE). He is a prominent figure in the realm of health data and a speaker at the EHDS Round Table.

“The EHDS has the potential to revolutionise patient care and healthcare outcomes. By enabling the secure and responsible sharing of health data across borders, the EHDS can facilitate the identification of patterns, trends, and best practices in healthcare. This can lead to improved decision-making, personalised treatments, and better patient outcomes. “

Mr. Andrzej Rys, DG SANTE

This Round Table discussion follows the publication of the 2021 report by EIT Health, titled “Learning from health data use cases: Real-world challenges and enablers to the creation of the EHDS.” It has been instrumental in understanding the practical hurdles and opportunities required to establish a successful EHDS, offering an overview of challenges in roles, regulations, and policies.

As the EHDS legislation moves towards finalization, expected in mid-2024, the Round Table series aims to reflect upon the more practical aspects of the implementation of the EHDS within existing national healthcare system infrastructure. The key questions that will be addressed include:

• How are each Member State preparing for this monumental transformation?
• What steps are necessary to ensure a seamless integration of the EHDS into existing systems and processes?
• What is the readiness level of Member States to implement the EHDS?
• What actions need to be taken, and who will be responsible for executing them?
• Moreover, the feasibility of EHDS implementation in light of the current status of individual national healthcare systems will be thoroughly examined.

The Round Table Participants will assess the level of preparedness in Belgium, Luxembourg and The Netherlands, across 6 distinct but inter-related domains of implementation:

• Governance
• Capacity and Skills
• Resources and Funding
• Quality of Data
• Closing the loop: The relationship between primary and secondary use
• Education, awareness, and communication: Moving to a data-driven culture

Follow the discussion! 

The EHDS Round Table promises to be an essential platform for stakeholders, policymakers, and healthcare professionals to exchange insights, discuss challenges, and chart a path forward for the European Health Data Space. EIT Health Belgium-Netherlands looks forward to facilitating this critical conversation and driving progress towards a more interconnected and data-driven healthcare landscape.

For more details and to register for the EHDS Round Table, please visit here.