The European Commission launches the European Health Data Space
5 of May of 2022
The European Commission has announced the launch of the European Health Data Space, one of its key initiatives for the provision of healthcare services in Europe. This new framework will allow people to monitor their health data, both in their country of origin and in other member countries, promoting a single market for digital health services and products. According to the Commission, it will also provide an efficient, reliable and coherent framework for the use of health data in the field of research, innovation, policy-making and legislation, while ensuring the European data protection regulation is complied with. The proposal will soon be debated in the Council and the European Parliament.
Robert Rubió, the head of the Office of the Data Protection Officer at the TIC Salut Social Foundation and associate lecturer in public international law at the University of Barcelona, emphasised that the data space “is a step forward in empowering citizens in relation to their health data and an opportunity to establish a common framework at EU level for the secondary use of health data”.
The European Health Data Space has three main objectives: empowering individuals through increased digital access to their health data in any of the 27 European Union countries; unleashing the data economy by fostering a single market for digital health services and products; and establishing strict rules for the use of unidentifiable health data for research, innovation, policymaking and regulatory activities.
Benefits of the European Health Data Space
Below is a summary of the benefits that the European Commission highlights the plan will have for each of the following groups:
Citizens: they will have control of their health data with security and privacy. They will be able to share their data with health professionals in member states in a common European format. They will also be able to add information, correct errors and find out how their data are being used.
Healthcare professionals: they will have faster access to patients’ health data from member countries, reducing the administrative burden.
Researchers: they will have access to a large volume of high-quality health data. Access will be less expensive and more effective.
Political and regulatory representatives: they will have faster and more transparent access to unidentifiable health data that can be used for the benefit of public health.
Companies in the health sector: they will be able to access new markets due to standardisation of the process. They will have access to unidentifiable data to use for innovation.
Economic growth
The European Commission expects to save €5.5 billion for the EU in ten years through improved access to and exchange of healthcare data; €5.4 billion in savings for the EU over ten years through improved use of health data for research, innovation and policy-making; and an additional 20-30% growth in the digital health market.