"The free movement of people in the EU was not followed by the movement of medical information about people, which created and continues to create great problems for general practitioners when they have to quickly and correctly assess the patient's situation. Hence, the proposal for a European Health Data Space (EHDS) is a step in the right direction. The successful implementation of the medical portal in Sibiu County confirms the necessity and usefulness of a EHDS." Daniela Cîmpean, the CoR Rapporteur on the EHDS made these remarks when presenting her opinion to the CoR NAT Commission which was adopted today.
Cîmpean, who serves as President of Sibiu County Council shared the positive results achieved by her county since the launch of the portal in 2021. She said "The main beneficiary is the patient, with access to the medical history and data, which one can share with the doctor for a better foundation of diagnosis and treatment. Of course, all this, under conditions of maximum safety." In this regard, Cîmpean welcomed the Commission's proposal for a EHDS but stressed the need to ensure security of patients' privacy and data rights.
WATCH: Sibiu's Medical Portal success story
More than 5000 patients and 85 doctors are registered on the platform that has proven to be a useful and safe tool through which patients no longer have to take care of medical files, in printed format, since their data and medical history are just a click away when they need them.
In her opinion, Cîmpean said that in seeking to empower individuals to have increased access to and control over their electronic health data, it must be ensured that vulnerable groups, and in particular older people with limited digital skills or limited access to digital resources, are not neglected.
With respect to governance, the rapporteur stresses that the success of the EHDS requires a multi-level governance approach and solutions not only at EU and national level, but also at regional and local level. It also calls for the CoR, as the representative of local and regional authorities, to be represented on the EHDS Board.
Addressing the NAT Commission, the rapporteur said that the EHDS will provide quality information on service consumption, diseases, treatments, adverse effects of treatments, etc., allowing health policy experts and researchers to identify gaps between regions / member countries in terms of specific public health indicators, allowing the development of health policies and programs appropriate to local needs. Cîmpean added that through the EHDS, investments in health can be made much more efficiently and equitably, based on the information provided by EHDS.