VPH featured in 2013 FP7 Work Programme for ICT

This call will focus “on consolidation of the VPH effort started in previous work programmes and on bridging towards Horizon 2020”. Clinical and personal use of VPH technologies will be given special attention in this call.

The call is intended very much to continue the work of VPH and importantly, foresees the preparation of a roadmap for in-silico clinical trials.

The Commission’s expected results from this call are:

• Increased confidence in decision support systems based on predictive models;
• Significant reduction of costs through the use of VPH technologies applicable to early diagnosis, prediction of disease and treatments outcomes;
• Strengthened evidence of the clinical benefits in using computer based model;
• Stronger evidence of the clinical impacts of disease prediction;
• Acceleration of the deployment of VPH technologies in clinical environments;
• Increased acceptance and use of predictive models by healthcare professionals;
• Increased acceptance and use of predictive models by patients or citizen;
• Stronger evidence of the usability of computer based models for patient or citizen;
• Wider deployment of VPH technologies and services to patient or citizen;
• Availability to the community of a research agenda on the in-silico clinical trials;
• Reinforced leadership of European research in this field through higher visibility of results and recognition.

While it is very positive that VPH is specifically featured in the 2013 work programme, the language employed by the Commission in the introductory paragraph is of key importance. Stressing that this call is a “bridge” to Horizon 2020 would suggest that the Commission is already considering continuing the support for VPH under Horizon 2020. This was also advanced by the Commission proposals on Horizon 2020 published in November 2011 and currently being discussed at the European Parliament and Council of Ministers.

• The full work programmecan be found here.