EU4Digital eHealth Network Meeting: focus on interoperability guidelines, cross-border eHealth Collaboration platform and EU initiatives roadmap

On November 5, 2020 the EU4Digital eHealth team organised a meeting of the eHealth Network, with the aim of bringing together network members from the six Eastern partner countries to share key deliverables from activities in the eHealth stream.

In the first part of the event, the EU4Digital eHealth team shared the key recommendations from the finalised common eHealth harmonisation and interoperability guidelines and standards. The aim of this part was to propose actionable items to achieve interoperable cross-border digital health infrastructure in the EaP region. 

eHealth expert Henrique Martins introduced the Portuguese eHealth strategy – Enesis 2020, a document covering all aspects of the country’s digital health strategy. Several strategic streams were also introduced, including quality and safety of healthcare, as well as health prevention, protection and promotion. The Portuguese Telehealth strategy was described in detail, including its opportunities in the context of COVID-19. 

The next part of the event focused on the cross-border eHealth collaboration platform. The platform has been designed as a new cooperation and information sharing space for eHealth Network stakeholders. During the meeting, the EU4Digital team provided instructions on sharing relevant content on the platform.

The final part of the event focused on EaP country involvement in EU projects, programmes and initiatives, specifically the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA).  The EU4Digital eHealth team provided an overview of achievements in the activity – the identification of best practices and of potential Reference Sites in the EaP region was presented along with Twinning recommendations both for EaP countries to European practices (first validated in individual country meetings) and for Twinning recommendations between EaP countries.

There was discussion on how the performed activities and identified innovation practices could be used as building blocks for EaP network development on EIP on AHA principles through the use of the eHealth communication and collaboration platform.