United Europe wants one informatic system for digital heatlh records and electronic prescriptions for 2015.

The European Commission has published health guidelines included in the strategy called "Europe 2020", designed to improve Europe's economic growth over the next decade. Among the health priorities for the next ten years, is to establish a system of 'e-health' (including, among others, digital health records and electronic prescriptions) that will be compatible with all EU countries before 2015.

The goal is to start in 2012 designing a single network for all of Europe from the results of the pilot 'Epsos', already involved in 20 of the 27 EU countries, including Spain, Turkey and Switzerland among others.

With this philosophy, "Europe 2020" also provides for the implementation of a safe method for patients to access the network through their medical history and encourage the use of telemedicine.

La UE quiere un sistema informático único de historias y recetas para 2015.

La Comisión Europea ha publicado las directrices sanitarias incluidas en la estrategia denominada "Europa 2020", diseñada para impulsar el crecimiento económico de Europa en la próxima década. Entre las prioridades en salud para los próximos diez años, se encuentra la de establecer un sistema de ‘e-salud’ (que incluya, entre otros, historias clínicas digitales y recetas electrónicas) que sea compatible para todos los países de la UE antes de 2015.

El objetivo es comenzar a diseñar en 2012 una red única para toda Europa a partir de los resultados del proyecto piloto ‘Epsos’, en el que ya participan 20 de los 27 países de la UE, incluida España, además de Turquía y Suiza.

Con esta misma filosofía, "Europa 2020" también prevé la implementación de un método seguro para que los pacientes puedan acceder a través de la red a su historial clínico, así como fomentar el uso de la telemedicina.

Europe calls for further support in the use of new technologies in health.

The European Comission appealed, last Tuesday, all the EU members to encourage the introduction of eHealth services to guarantee a better and safer health care. This is also a way of reducing costs and, in a long term, of sustaining the health systems in Europe.

"Apart from the budget cuts, in the next 20 years the number of europeans aged 65 or more will raise about a 45%, according the forecast, from 85 millions in 2008 to 123 millions in 2030 and this will cause a huge impact in health, society and economy", the Commissioner for Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes, declared during the opening of the ehealth conference, held in Budapest in may 10th - 12th.

The Commissioner for Digital Agenda considered "inacceptable" the lack of compromise of the governments in facilitating this kind of services to patients, "even if this means structural changes in health Sytems".

The Commissioner appealed the EU members to promote the use of new information and communication technologies (TIC) to boost diagnosis, prevention, treatment and innovative technological solutions based in telemedicine and remote monitoring systems. Hospital admissions would be reduced with the generalization of telemedicine.

News item published in "elmundo.es". If you want to read more, click here.