Digital future: how data is transforming healthcare in Europe?

The Covid-19 pandemic saw spectacular advances in vaccine technology, but it also highlighted the huge importance of digital healthcare. Exchanging and having access to clinical information can be vital for both the treatment and better health outcomes for patients. 

It’s the reason why digitalisation and data sharing are now seen as key tools for public healthcare systems.

The European Union has made digitalisation in healthcare one of its top priorities. It’s just launched a European Health Data Space that will be gradually implemented over the coming years.

This interconnected database aims to facilitate access to patient health information and ensure continuity of care, even if they are in another European country.

The exchange of health information is regulated by existing national and European legislation.

The European Health Data Space promises more efficient care and better diagnostic capacity, and it should also boost scientific research, enabling European companies to create more tailored medicine, health devices and services.

This increased data sharing should lead to better and more informed policy-making. Based on the existing cross-border healthcare directive, member states collaborate through a voluntary network connecting national authorities which are responsible for eHealth. The European Commission has set up the MyHealth@EU infrastructure to facilitate the cross-border exchange of health data.

Over the last two years, several EU countries have accelerated their use of digital health technology. 

Portugal is at the forefront of this revolution. The country’s health ministry has tasked an IT authority to carry out this transition.

"When it comes to digital data, what we want is for this data, once it has been