Challenge

European countries develop their eHEalth systems according to different national priorities, healthcare structures and technical approaches. Without coordination, this can lead to duplicated research, incompatible infrastructure and barriers to exchanging health information across borders. These differences can also restrict the mobility of patients and healthcare professionals and make it harder to align national innovation with shared European objectives.

Solutions

eHealth ERA brought national ministries and research stakeholders together to build a clearer picture of eHealth activity across Europe. The project collected and analysed national strategies, research programmes, infrastructure plans and implementation progress. It created databases of policy documents and national research contacts, identified priority areas and good practices, and examines opportunities for joint research and coordinated action.

Results

eHealth ERA produced the first integrated overview of national eHealth policies and strategies across 32 European countries. Its databases and country analyses made it easier to compare national progress, identify common challenges and locate opportunities for collaboration. The project also examined patient summaries and patient empowerment as priority areas, using strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analyses to clarify the research and policy actions required.

The project also developed 10 principal outputs, including country reports, policy analyses, databases and recommendations for coordinated European research. These resources strengthened knowledge exchange between ministries and laid the groundwork for subsequent monitoring of national eHealth strategies. More broadly, eHealth ERA helped shift European cooperation from isolated national activities towards a shared understanding of infrastructure, interoperability and research priorities .”