The Council of the EU and the European Parliament have reached a provisional agreement on a new law making it easier to exchange and access health data at EU level. The agreement will now need to be endorsed by both the Council and the Parliament.
The proposed regulation for a European Health Data Space (EHDS) aims to improve individuals’ access to and control over their personal electronic health data, while also enabling certain data to be reused for public interest, policy support, and scientific research purposes. It provides for a health-specific data environment that will help foster a single market for digital health services and products.
Currently, cross-border access to health data varies across the EU. The new rules aim to make it possible for a Spanish tourist to pick up a prescription in a German pharmacy, or for doctors to access the health information of a Belgian patient undergoing treatment in Italy.
"After months of hard work and dedication, we have a deal that will strongly support patient care and scientific research in the EU. The new law agreed on today will allow patients to access their health data wherever they are in the EU, while also providing scientific research for important reasons of public interest with a wealth of secure data that will greatly benefit the development of health policies." say Frank Vandenbroucke, Belgian Deputy Prime-Minister and Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health.
Under the new rules, individuals will have faster and easier access to electronic health data, regardless of whether they are in their home country or another member state. They will also have greater control over how that data is used. EU countries will be required to set up a digital health authority to implement the new provisions.
The EHDS will also provide researchers and policy-makers with access to specific kinds of secure health data, enabling them to tap into the vast potential provided by the EU’s health data to inform scientific research in the public interest.
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