Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voted in favour or a resolution to promote eHealth earlier today following the presentation of a report stressing the benefits that using online tools to access healthcare and managing disease can provide for European patients.
Spanish politician Pilar Ayuso – who presented the report – said: “The EU healthcare system faced many challenges as a result of population increase, ageing, patient and healthcare professionals' mobility, and increasingly tight budgets.
“eHealth could help us improve quality and the efficiency of healthcare systems in the European Union, making the work of professionals easier and improving access to healthcare, notably for people in remote regions. It can also cut waiting times and improve fast diagnosis” she added.
The resolution stresses the the need to ensure the technical interoperability of national healthcare systems, and makes recommendations in the domains of training, research, data protection and cooperation amongst Member States.
It also touches on the role that mobile devices and apps can play in disease management, particularly for people suffering from chronic diseases.