eHealth Innovation (eHI) is an EU-funded Thematic Network (TN) working to develop consensus among stakeholders on required actions to further the deployment of more personalised eHealth services across Europe. Its focus is interoperable eHealth services that can be scaled up across Europe to support health and social care teams to deliver better integrated services, and support patients in managing their own health.
The network, co- led by UCL Consultants Ltd and empirica, involves 22 partners ““ 20 from 10 Member States and two from Switzerland ““ representing a broad range of stakeholders including national and regional authorities, industry (ICT and Pharma), nation solution providers, researchers and users (health professionals, patients, healthcare providers and insurers), as well as European and national associations. The project has examined the challenges that presently limit the widespread availability of patient empowering services, such as market fragmentation, inflexible reimbursement models and the lack of organisational support for self-caring patients.
The objective of eHealth Innovation was to identify and examine emerging best practices in how to re-architect healthcare services towards a patient-centric cooperation of actors and the meaningful integration of information. The project focused on the systems and services that support dynamic and virtual teams working efficiently and effectively at enabling and empowering patients to play greater roles in their own health and wellness, with a focus on personalised health services and a supportive eHealth infostructure. Challenges such as market fragmentation and lack of interoperability, lack of legal certainty and insufficient availability of financial support have been explored, along with procurement and organisational issues. Particular emphasis has been put on how to articulate the further development, innovation and deployment measures as perceived by various stakeholder and expert groups. The project has identified many critical success factors for scaling up solutions including the efficient engagement of individuals in managing their health, improved, interactive communication, shared doctor-patient decision support and improved care co-ordination.