The European Commission has launched the European Health Data Space (EHDS) which represents one of the central building blocks of a strong European Health Union. The EHDS will allow individuals to check and use their health data in their own country or in other Member States, fostering the development of a digital healthcare market. In this context, a trustworthy space could be created able to use data for improving research, innovation, policy-making and regulatory activities.
As stated by the EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides: “Today we are putting in place another pillar for the European Health Union. The European Health Data Space is a fundamental game changer for the digital transformation of healthcare in the EU. It places the citizens at its centre, empowering them with full control over their data to obtain better healthcare across the EU.”
Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated, more than ever, the importance to develop digital services, products and tools in the healthcare sector. The European Health Data Space represents a great opportunity for nurses and for all the healthcare professionals to have an easy access to the health data of patients, ensuring protection and high-quality care.
For EFN, the central issues in the weeks, months and years ahead will be about public trust and keeping the citizen/patient in the centre of proceedings. The EFN placed and will be placing a lot of focus on the health data space, as demonstrated by the 2 EU projects almost coming to an end in the Health Data Space context: Smart4Health and InteropEHRate. The focal point is to engage nurses in the European Health Data Space co-creation for developing instruments and services which can really facilitate and help frontline nurses in their daily job. Address the needs of nurses’ means ensuring better patient care!