UE-USA conference on public policies relating to health IT
Report during the conference on 20th and 21st October, 2008 in Paris (France).
The conclusions
If it is to be efficient and effective, e-health requires governmental and political support, as well as the definition of a long-term strategy and specific programs. Furthermore, it is essential that patients’ confidence is won and that the benefits of e-health are fully demonstrated to health professionals.
Issues
Public policies relating to health IT have been under development for a number of years in western countries, with the ultimate aim of facilitating better healthcare for patients. In light of ever increasing healthcare demand and rising healthcare spending, e-health solutions make health systems both efficient and effective.
The conference
The EU-USA conference on public policies relating to heath IT and e-health (held from 20 to 21 October 2008 in Paris) was the first stage in a cycle of collaboration between Europe and the USA, intended to improve international cooperation on key factors in the development of healthcare IT systems.
Four major issues were looked at:
• The protection of personal data,
• The interoperable of different countries’ health systems,
• Techniques and policies to increase adoption of healthcare IT systems,
• Public-private parterships in e-health.
