10 December 2008
Experts of the European Commission set priorities for 2009
The expert group of the European Commission, the Health Systems Working Party (HSWP), met on November 20 - 21, 2008 in Luxembourg. Thorsten Beck (AOK Schleswig-Holstein, Statutory Health Insurance, Germany) was invited by the Directorate General for Health and Consumer Protection (DG Sanco) as representative of the eHealth for Regions Network to attend this meeting.
The 11th meeting of the HSWP focussed on the upcoming eHealth priorities in 2009. Representatives of relevant European organisations outlined the lessons learned in 2008 and the resulting objectives and activities in the next year(s):
- Artur Furtado, DG Sanco: HSWP draft work plan for 2009
- Elizabeth Kidd, DG Sanco: Health workforce – update on current and future work
- Elletra Ronchi, OECD: OECD update on main Health projects
- Gabriele Pastorino, WHO: Update on WHO health Observatory activities
- Cornelis Van Mosseveld, Eurostat: Update on Eurostat activities
- Bernhard Bührlen, Fraunhofer Institute: InnoHTA – Project (Innovative health care technologies)
Mr Beck declared that the eHealth for Regions network is open to cooperations with international partners for innovative projects in E-Health.
The next meeting will be held in March 2009. After that one, the HSWP will lay the focus more on project activities. Project partners and organisations will be invited to create new pilots and projects.
The HSWP is one of the implementing structures of the Public Health Programme 2003-2008 of the European Union. The major aims of the HSWP are:
- To serve as an expert group to provide advice and assist the European Commission Public Health Directorate (DG SANCO) on information and knowledge for monitoring Community policies and other initiatives in the field of health systems;
- to facilitate the exchange and comparison of information about important aspects of health systems in the EU Member States, including cross-border care, pharmaceuticals and quality of care and also addressing eHealth issues. This will enable benchmarking and performance assessment, and the exchange of information on best practices while recognizing the Members States’ own primary responsibilities for their health systems.
For more information about the agenda of the meeting.
For further information about the HWSP and its aims click here.