8 - 10 June 2016, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.The Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, the European Commission and HIMSS Europe officially announced the themes of eHealth Week 2016 in Amsterdam. Empowering People, Trust & Standards and Social Innovation & Transition will be the three main topics which will be addressed during the three day conference in June. The patients will have a prominent role during the event, reflecting the focus which is being placed on people and citizens who are using eHealth in the Netherlands and across Europe.
eHealth Week is an official part of the Presidency of the Netherlands in the Council of the European Union, which will take place from 1 January until 30 June 2016. During eHealth Week 2016, over 2,000 international experts in IT and healthcare, public institutions, professional and patient organisations are expected to attend.
The Dutch Minister for Health, Welfare and Sport, Edith Schippers, highlighted the importance of eHealth Week taking place in the Netherlands: "The Netherlands is a pioneer in the area of innovative products and services in the healthcare sector. Whether it concerns diabetes, e-mental health, healthy ageing or equipment for diagnostics, Dutch companies are a global actor and are highly regarded. They can mean a great deal for the healthcare sector and the patient."
Martin van Rijn, Dutch State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport added: "Technological developments succeed each other rapidly. It is our job to make sure that new technologies will lead to better healthcare where people who need support and healthcare are key."
Empowering People
This theme will address self-empowering eHealth for patients and healthy citizens in order to enable them to be more active in managing their own health. It will also explore how elderly people can continue to live independently and how eHealth applications can better meet the needs of users.
Trusts & Standards
Proper legal frameworks are a precondition for healthcare providers, enterprises and member states to be able to exchange data. Legal clarity is also necessary to ensure trust among the public in eHealth solutions and applications. Proper standards and technical solutions are needed to make systems interoperable and connect the different actors. The objective of the theme is to exchange knowledge on how to promote and enhance trust in health IT systems and how to increase the use of standards in eHealth.
Social Innovation & Transition
Often, much emphasis is placed on the technical aspects of eHealth. However, scaling up eHealth also requires a different mindset on cooperation, organisational and cultural innovation - organising healthcare in a smarter, more efficient and effective way. In this theme, the social aspects of implementation and innovation are key. This theme will stimulate implementation, scale and use of eHealth and discuss where, why and how implementation and upscaling has been successfully achieved and how best practices can be replicated.
Christina Roosen, VP Public Affairs for HIMSS Europe, also revealed the significance of the confirmed themes: "Patients, doctors, nurses and healthy people actively following their health status will change the way that healthcare is delivered, not institutions. eHealth Week will focus on the people that are changing the health care system, and this starts with the power of patients."
For further information, please visit:
http://www.ehealthweek.org
About eHealth Week
eHealth Week 2016 is the leading eHealth event in Europe. It will be organised in Amsterdam on 8-10 June 2016, during the Dutch Presidency of the European Council (1 January - 30 June, 2016). The event is organised by the European Commission, the Dutch Ministry of Health, and HIMSS Europe. During eHealth Week 2016, over 2,000 international experts in IT and healthcare, public institutions, professional and patient organisations will be welcomed.
Under the theme "You, at the heart of transition", eHealth Week 2016 will focus on the people who are changing the healthcare system, and the first step forward is to give patients the power. eHealth Week 2016 is organised by the Dutch Ministry of Health and the Dutch Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the European Commission and HIMSS Europe. This year's educational programme will focus on three main themes: Empowering People, Trust & Standards and Innovation & Transition.
eHealth policies are changing. Until now, policies have mainly focused on institutions and IT systems: today, that focus is shifting and is now being placed on eHealth users. The people who are using eHealth are becoming increasingly involved in the discussion and being placed at the heart of eHealth policy-making.
The Netherlands is one of the most digitally mature countries in Europe and is home to one of the three HIMSS EMRAM Stage 7 hospitals in Europe as well as having eight Stage 6 hospitals: it is an ideal place for the European eHealth Community to come together.
About HIMSS Europe
HIMSS Europe is a voice, advisor and thought leader of transformation through health IT. As an independent organisation with innovation at its heart, HIMSS Europe unites and engages key stakeholders across the health and care ecosystem through events, media, analytics and communities that are focused on helping healthcare systems to define their IT strategies meanwhile supporting the healthcare industry to improve its services.
By offering a high quality, Pan-European platform to collaborate and exchange best practice, news, information and data, HIMSS Europe has a unique breadth and depth of expertise and capabilities to improve the quality, safety and efficiency of health and care and deliver more effective patient outcomes.
Founded in 1961, HIMSS encompasses more than 60,000 members, 600 companies and over one million HIT network of key influencers that drive innovation across the world.