Artificial Intelligence in MedTech: Delivering on the Promise of Better Healthcare in Europe
The medical technology industry welcomes the new European Commission's priority focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI). Our industry sees enormous potential of AI to make healthcare better and safer, improve access and outcomes, empower patients and citizens with information, and make healthcare delivery more efficient.
There are several challenges that impede the deployment of AI in healthcare. These include a fragmented data landscape that makes access to or sharing of data difficult, a lack of interoperability, and a shortage of incentives for data sharing. Legal, technical and social challenges present additional obstacles for the sharing and aggregation of data.
Europe is a Union of and for citizens. What matters to Europeans matters to the EU. It should come as no surprise that regular surveys and debates across the continent consistently rank health among the top priorities for European citizens. They are right to expect a high level of protection and it is up to all of us - in all the European capitals - to deliver.
Digital health, or the use of digital technologies for health, has become a salient field of practice for employing routine and innovative forms of information and communications technology (ICT) to address health needs. The term digital health is rooted in eHealth, which is defined as "the use of information and communications technology in support of health and health-related fields". Mobile health (mHealth) is a subset of eHealth and is defined as "the use of mobile wireless technologies for health". More recently, the term digital health was introduced as "a broad umbrella term encompassing eHealth (which includes mHealth), as well as emerging areas, such as the use of advanced computing sciences in 'big data', genomics and artificial intelligence". 
The aim of the study is to examine the telemedicine market in Europe and to understand the factors that determine its development. The analysis maps telemedicine applications and solutions, and applicable technical standards and guidelines; it also describes market dynamics and potential barriers limiting wider deployment and uptake of telemedicine solutions. Finally, the study assesses the cost-effectiveness of larger-scale deployment of telemedicine under current and future market conditions, to provide policy makers with advice and considerations for wider deployment of telemedicine. 
Health at a Glance: Europe 2018, the first step in the State of Health in the EU cycle, is the result of close co-operation between the OECD and the European Commission.The preparation of this publication was led by the OECD, and the Commission provided guidance and technical support throughout the process. This publication would not have been possible without the effort of national data correspondents from the 36 countries who have provided most of the data and the metadata presented in this report, and financial support provided by the European Union.