Belgium (Brussels Morning Newspaper), A European Health Data Space is to be established to ease access to personal health data.
It means patients will be able to access their health data electronically across the EU’s different healthcare systems.
A draft law just presented by the EU also gives health professionals access to their patients’ data, based strictly on what is necessary for a given treatment.
Patients will also be able to download their health records free of charge.
Electronic health records (EHR) would include patient summaries, electronic prescriptions, medical imagery, and laboratory results (so-called primary use).
The law would also create a European electronic health record exchange format, and outline rules on data quality, security and the interoperability of EHR systems that will be monitored by national market surveillance authorities.
Commenting, Tomislav Sokol (EPP, Croatia), of the European Parliament’s Environment Committee, has warmly welcomed the move
The member, a rapporteur on the issue, told this website, “The European Health Data Space will put citizens in control of their health data.
“This will be done by providing a safe framework for storing and accessing their health records that will be accessible anywhere in the EU – enhancing healthcare at a national and cross-border level.
“The EHDS will also facilitate the responsible sharing of health data to researchers – boosting research and innovation in the EU, and ensuring the development of new treatments.”
