The Telemedicine Alliance (TMA), in its first phase of work, formulated a Vision for citizen-centred eHealth services by 20107. A key outcome of this study shown that the issue of interoperability was a major obstacle to the implementation of eHealth.
The overall goal of TMA-Bridge, the second phase of work of the TMA,was to provide a Strategic Plan for transnational eHealth interoperability with creative, citizencentred, action-oriented, strategic actionable recommendations. The focus of the plan is to enable the stakeholders to take action to achieve actual and sustainable interoperability. These stakeholders came from all areas, including political, organizational, social, and technical.
The Strategic plan and its recommendations to the European Commission and the EU Member States are in fact relevant for all stakeholders. Indeed, all stakeholders must take heed to these recommendations, and take coordinated and concerted action in order that the immense investment in eHealth now being expended in the individual Member States to contribute to improved healthcare in those States, will also facilitate interoperable trans-national services across Europe. This will help the mobile patient and health professional and could have farreaching implications for ICT development in Europe: the full investment and creative forces of industry can be unleashed in this lucrative market, thus improving the economic health of European industry, as well as that of its citizens only with established and interoperable standards across Europe.
For further information, please visit:
http://www.esa.int/telemedicine-alliance
Project co-ordinator:
European Space Agency (ESA)
Partners:
- ESA, European Space Research & Technology Centre (ESTEC), Noordwijk, (NL)
- WHO - Regional Office for Europe, Office for Integrated Health Care Services, Barcelona, (ES)
- ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau, Geneva, (CH)
Timetable: from 08/04 to 07/05
Total cost: 550.000,00
EC funding: 550.000,00
Instrument: SSA
Project Identifier: IST-2004-507871