KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 9 -- Cybersecurity, interoperability and patient empowerment are major concerns in the European healthcare industry, according to the latest ‘Annual European eHealth Survey 2019’ conducted by HIMSS, in cooperation with management consultancy firm, McKinsey & Company.
The survey which involved over 500 professionals in the field also found that Estonia has swapped places with Denmark and is now perceived to be the leading eHealth country in Europe.
EU citizens, for example, can retrieve medication prescribed electronically by doctors in Finland in Estonian pharmacies, according to a statement.
The survey shows that the development of the eHealth industry in Europe is increasingly focusing on ‘patient empowerment’, the ability of patients to not only access and use their own health records, but also to contribute to these records with self-generated data.
Digital patient empowerment requires a more advanced eHealth infrastructure. The importance of providing telemedicine services has significantly increased when comparing the results over the years.
However, the digital transformation of Europe’s healthcare systems is also facing major challenges, with IT funding remaining a major obstacle (37 per cent) in particular, in the UK, Spain and Germany.
In addition, the lack of interoperability standards allowing for data exchange between systems (29 per cent) and the shortage of skilled eHealth professionals (28 per cent) are also plaguing the industry.
The European eHealth Survey 2019 provides insight into the current priorities, challenges and trends of the eHealth industry in Europe. It is aimed at all healthcare stakeholders in Europe.
-- BERNAMA
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