Digital health can be defined as “tools and services that use information and communication technologies (ICTs) to improve prevention, diagnosis, treatment, monitoring and management of health-related issues and to monitor and manage lifestyle-habits that impact health”.
The huge amount of health data represents a big challenge for Europe and the opportunity to reuse these data for research activities is often missed because health data continues to be confined in data silos, often not matching semantic standards, quality needs and safe data exchange.
On the 28th of June, Smart4Health coordinator, UNINOVA, and partner, INTEROP-VLab organised a Health day in Brussels, bringing together different stakeholders with different perspectives in one forum of discussion. EU projects Smart4Health and Smart Bear presented the developments and the way they are working together to implement a cross project pilot to provide increased value to their participants. During the day, several EU projects shared their ideas and developments in different Use cases on digital health. New applications to manage chronic diseases, homecare, physical rehabilitation etc. have been proposed. As covid-19 demonstrated, more than ever, digital tools are key in the healthcare sector to ensure well-being and high quality care to patients. This process is only possible by engaging the end-users in co-creation. And this is what the EFN, also partner in this European Electronic Health Records project, is doing – representing 3 million nurses as end-users and bringing nurses’ view and policy expertise, facilitating the project co-design.
To create useful tools, it is essential to engage nurses in co-design and co-creation of the digitalisation of the health and social care ecosystem. Nurses really know the healthcare sector, its strengths and weaknesses, and they can play a vital role in the digitalisation process.
Digitalisation is key to support frontline healthcare professionals, and namely nurses, and increase direct patient care. Therefore, fit-for-purpose EHR solutions to be used to improve health outcomes and increase the quality and safety in the health and social care ecosystems in the EU are key, as the requirements and mechanisms co-designed with the end-users are to ensure the utility and suitability of the developed solutions. The EU is driving health system reform through digitalisation with nurses providing their views, experience and expertise as end-users. It is therefore the right time to boost innovation and digitalisation of the healthcare sector. It is the right time to make the difference. Don’t miss this opportunity!