Commissioner Reding to deliver keynote speech and visit Danish Village at World of Health IT

Calls for greater interoperability to drive healthcare improvement across Europe

Published: 10/31/2008

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK – (HealthTech Wire / News) - Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media, has called on all stakeholders in the health technology community to work together to push through electronic health reforms that work to the benefit of all EU citizens, as well as help establish eHealth as a pillar of strength for European industry.

Commissioner Reding, who is due to deliver the opening keynote speech at this year’s World of Health IT, which is being held in Copenhagen on November 4-6, told World of Health IT in an exclusive interview that, “We have to cope with a situation where more and more citizens are crossing borders and expecting to be treated as efficiently and rapidly as if they were in their home country. With this in mind, we have two big challenges to take up: first, we must ensure that eHealth benefits all Europeans and, secondly, we must help the eHealth market reach its full potential.”

According to Commissioner Reding, by deploying best practice eHealth initiatives across member states, the EU can contribute to the goals set out in its renewed social agenda in July to improve education, create jobs, fight discrimination, promote mobility and enable Europeans to live longer and healthier lives.

Commissioner Reding went on to say that, while demand for clinical information systems and tools for telemedicine is constantly increasing, businesses are still facing many barriers to selling products developed for one healthcare institution to another due to the lack of interoperability. “We are now at a stage where Member States and regional health institutions have understood the need to share information within and across borders. What remains to be done is to ensure that technical, organizational, legal and market issues are tackled as quickly as possible,” said the Commissioner.

Media representatives invited to join Viviane Reding during Danish Village visit

Viviane Reding will visit the Danish Village at The World of Health IT to take part in a virtual demonstration of the 'intelligent therapy tiles' on Tuesday, November 4, following her press conference at WoHIT.

Intelligent therapy tiles can support the rehabilitation of patients with cardiac disease and those having undergone knee surgery by bringing an element of fun into the daily therapy. The tiles are put up on a wall to create social games that help patients increase their pulse rate by playing against each other. Other games may be used to correct the movement of the knee. Hip patients can also benefit from a walking path that requires the appropriate weight and force to be exerted on the hip or leg. Doctors are already working to expand the application of therapy tiles in sports training and the diagnosis of children with autism. The project has received funding under the Seventh Research Framework Programme (FP7) of the European Commission.

The Commissioner will further be updated on the Patient Suitcase project. Patient Suitcase offers simultaneous transmission of data based on images, sound and measurements - regardless of distance. A patient can sit at home, far away from the hospital, and still obtain instant and visual contact with the practitioner. Via built-in microphones they are also able to hold a conversation as if both were physically present in the same room.