The healthcare ecosystem is changing. The confluence of several critical factors is necessitating a comprehensive re-evaluation of healthcare systems and the delivery of care. Established healthcare systems in developed countries will need to adjust to address the predicted chronic disease epidemics and the demands of an aging population. In developing systems, healthcare modernization is a priority as we witness a rising prevalence of 'Western' diseases. The explosion of data and associated implications for data management will also need to be tackled.

The final goal of promoting interoperability in general, and for Personal Health Systems (PHS) in particular, is to contribute to integrated care. This will be supported through comprehensive, easy and collaborative access to and sharing of a patient's health data for all authorised health professionals, family carers and ultimately the patient itself. Thus they will gain managed access to essential health information about patients, subject to the patients' consent.

Improving the quality and reducing the cost of patient care depends on digitizing healthcare workflows and moving to electronic patient records. These records are a type of sensitive information, also referred to as electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI). Sensitive information in electronic form presents new vulnerabilities compared to paper-based equivalents.

Social media has moved beyond being a tool for young individuals to share their private lives (pictures, messages) to fostering serious discussion on technology and business. Increasingly driven by regulatory pressures, the need "get it right the first time" and minimize costs remains a concern in the healthcare industry. Customer feedback to improve business has thus become very important.

Since the publication of the European Commission's (EC) eHealth Action Plan in 2004, eHealth has gained significant momentum across Europe. "European countries on their journey towards national eHealth infrastructures - evidence of progress and recommendations for cooperative actions" is the title of a just released overview and synthesis report on eHealth in Europe. In addition, more than 30 individual reports detailing policy actions and deployment of eHealth applications in Member States and other European countries are available there as well.

Why Europe Must Reach for Cloud Computing.
Europe's policy makers know full well what their challenges are. Put simply, everyone needs to do more, better, quicker, with greater involvement from their citizens and above all do this at lower cost. Nowhere are the challenges, the pain points, more evident than in health, where shrinking real budgets are set on a collision course with rising health costs and ageing populations. In addition, there are calls from all sides for patients to be more involved in the management of their own health and wellbeing.

Global Observatory for eHealth series - Volume 2.
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have great potential to address some of the challenges faced by both developed and developing countries in providing accessible, costeffective, high-quality health care services. Telemedicine uses ICTs to overcome geographical barriers, and increase access to health care services. This is particularly beneficial for rural and underserved communities in developing countries - groups that traditionally suffer from lack of access to health care.