On 23 October 2007 the European Commission adopted a new Health Strategy, "Together for Health: A Strategic Approach for the EU 2008-2013". Building on current work, this Strategy aims to provide, for the first time, an overarching strategic framework spanning core issues in health as well as health in all policies and global health issues. The Strategy aims to set clear objectives to guide future work on health at the European level, and to put in place an implementation mechanism to achieve those objectives, working in partnership with Member States.

Pre-liminary report of the "WHO/European eHealth Consumer Trends Survey"
The report presents the results from the 2007 eHealth Trends survey. The number of Internet health users increased from 44% in 2005 to 54% in 2007. The growth in the use of Internet for health purposes is found in all seven countries participating in the survey.

The aim of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for Health (also known as eHealth) is to significantly improve the quality, access and efficacy of healthcare. ICT for Health describes the application of information and communication technologies across the whole range of functions that affect the health sector. The European Commission has been supporting research activities in ICT for Health for almost two decades. This has placed Europe in a leading position in the use of regional health networks, electronic health records in primary care and deployment of health cards.

The eHealth for Safety study takes a broad look at the information and communication technology (ICT) tools that can lead to higher quality of care, increased patient safety, and better risk management in health services and healthcare in Europe. It does so through a mix of desk research and provision of empirical evidence. It brings together into this mix the views of leading researchers and practitioners from around the globe from a series of high-level discussions and workshops.

The ICT for Health Unit of Directorate-General Information Society and Media is in the process of drafting a Recommendation which outlines a set of recommended guidelines for good practice on eHealth interoperability. This draft Recommendation is submitted for informal public consultation.

The overarching notion is of a European service space in which, and through which, European citizens and their designated health professionals can access the necessary health services.

There are a number of examples in the health area on which Member States cannot act alone effectively and where cooperative action at the EU level is indispensable, especially regarding issues with a cross-border dimension or relating to the free movement of persons within the internal EU market. Both existing and emerging disparities in Member States' legislation and case-law concerning healthcare impair the development of cross-border services and produce distortions of competition.

The report analyses the current state of developing electronic patient summaries in European Union Member States and beyond. It highlights the benefits of such summaries and also the difficulties that need to be overcome to make use of patient summaries in different countries.

Patient Summaries are a key component for eHealth roadmaps in several countries.