"This report builds on the Next Stage Review by describing how informatics is supporting the delivery of better, safer care of patients, improving the NHS through better research, planning and management, and empowering patients to make more informed choices about health and care."

"[T]he study is one of the first attempts to assess the real impact of eHealth applications. ... [It] study shows that across a wide range of eHealth applications clear evidence can be found of the benefits of information and communication technologies in routine healthcare settings. These benefits range from improvements in quality, [safety, costs] and better access [for] all citizens to care". [...]

The report evaluates ten individual e-Health sites using methods developed by the EU eHealth Impact project:

• AOK Rheinland, Germany – GesundheitsCard Europa (GCE), cross border access to healthcare (in the Netherlands and Belgium) for german patients insured by AOK Rheinland on presentation of their German health insurance card.
• Apoteket (Sweden’s national pharmacy) Sweden – ePrescribing
• City of Bucharest Ambulance Service, Romania – DISPEC teletriage and dispatch system
• Institut Curie (oncology), Paris, France – Elios (internal EHR system) and Promethee (tool "supporting simultaneous enquiries in different databases enabling fast data collection for research purposes").
• IZIP, Czech Republic – web based national electronic health record "supported by the largest health insurer in the Czech Republic, serving two thirds of the Czech population".
• Kind en Gezin, Flanders, Belgium – Flemish (children's) vaccination database (FVD) and Vaccinet
• Medcom, Denmark - Danish health data network (DHCDN)
• MedicalOrder®Center Ahlen – supply chain optimisation (Germany)
• NHS Direct, UK – NHS Direct Online (NHSDO) healthcare information advice service
• Sjunet, Sweden – radiology consultations between Sweden and Spain.

Some main conclusions (summary): "Electronically enhanced healthcare [when properly implemented] promises to reduce costs, improve quality and efficiency and treat more patients with the same resources ... The eHealth Impact project conclusively demonstrated that there is over a 2:1 ratio between economic benefits and costs" [EC].

Key survey findings:

• "active involvement of WHO in the development of generic eHealth tools, and guidance in creating and implementing eHealth services would be welcomed by Member States;
• "the need for guidance in a broad range of eHealth areas was expressed in particular by countries that do not belong to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD);
• "OECD countries did not express consistent views of their needs in eHealth areas; and
• "there is a need to raise awareness as to what eHealth tools and services already exist at global and national levels."

Proposed actions (summarised from the report):

• Provide generic eHealth tools most sought after by Member States (tools for monitoring and evaluation of eHealth services; drug registries; institutional patient centred information systems that could be extended to include electronic health record systems; directories of health care professionals and institutions).
• Support access to existing eHealth tools and services with an emphasis on open source solutions.
• Provide an international knowledge exchange network to share practical experiences on the application and impact of eHealth initiatives should be built.
• Provide a digital resource of eHealth information to support the needs of Member States in key areas such as eHealth policy, strategy, security and legal issues.
• Promote eLearning programmes for professional education in the health sciences and in ongoing professional development.

The report, which follows up from the President's State of the Union address on 31 January 2006, covers goals for the whole of healthcare. Proposals specific to the implementation of Health Information Technology are quoted here:

• "Establishing the position of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS);
• "Providing support for several health IT projects to assess and develop solutions to key implementation issues such as:
  • "harmonizing standards to allow different health systems to speak the same language and seamlessly share health information when needed;
  • "developing certification criteria to ensure health IT investments meet proper standards;
  • "addressing privacy and security issues; and
  • "developing models for a national Internet-based system that allows electronic health information to follow patients no matter where they receive care."

The following information is all taken from the report.

1. National network strategy
2. NHI (National Health Index) promotion (unique patient identifier)
3. HPI (Health Provider Index) implementation
4. ePharmacy (electronic prescribing - electronic transactions between prescribers and pharmacies.)
5. eLabs (electronic transactions between clinicians and laboratories) (to include decision support capability)
6. Discharge summaries (electronic)
7. Chronic care and disease management (includes guidelines)
8. Electronic referrals (including guideline-based decision support)
9. National outpatient collection
10. National primary care collection
11. National system access (secure, web)
12. Anchoring framework (ability to link data across the continuum of care).

1. Investment management framework
2. Strategic information planning framework
3. Collaboration frameworks
4. Data sets
5. Applications
6. Networks
7. Standards
8. Privacy and security.

Following the May 2005 World Health Assembly resolution, WHO initiated a first world-wide survey on eHealth as part of the work of the WHO Global Observatory for eHealth (GOe), established in early 2005 to provide Member States with strategic information and guidance on effective practices, policies and standards in eHealth. The GOe secretariat is based at WHO headquarters in Geneva (Switzerland) and the networked operation is planned to grow rapidly to include research centres and collaborating partners across the globe.

• Describe and analyse the eHealth profiles in countries, regions and internationally
• Identify and evaluate measures taken in key action areas to support the development of eHealth in countries
• Establish the requirements of Member States for eHealth tools and services.

This short report (or "Highlight") constitutes an estimation of "the potential costs and benefits of widespread adoption of Health Information Technology" (EHRs, DSS, CPOE ...) in routine care. Research (from RAND and other sources) used in the compilation of the report is referenced at the end of the document.

Key findings:

• "Properly implemented and widely adopted, Health Information Technology would save money and significantly improve healthcare quality.
• "Annual savings from efficiency alone could be $77 billion or more.
• "Health and safety benefits could double the savings while reducing illness and prolonging life. [The report estimates that if "all hospitals had a HIT system including Computerized Physician Order Entry, around 200,000 adverse drug events could be eliminated each year, at an annual savings of about $1 billion".]
• "Implementation would cost around $8 billion per year, assuming adoption by 90 percent of hospitals and doctors’ offices over 15 years.
• "Obstacles include market disincentives: Generally, those who pay for Health Information Technology do not receive the related savings.
• "The government should act now to overcome obstacles and realize benefits."

"On July 21, 2004, the US Department of Health and Human Services released a report on the progress of the strategic plan to guide nationwide adoption of health information technology in both the public and private sectors. The report outlines the framework for 12 strategies that will achieve four goals: 1) introduction of information tools into clinical practice; 2) electronically connecting clinicians to other clinicians; 3) using information tools to personalize care delivery; and 4) advancing surveillance and reporting for population health improvement" [IHI].

" The essence of our recommendations is a framework for a 21st century health care information infrastructure that revolutionizes medical records systems. The four core elements of this framework are:

The European Commission (EC) has supported research & development into e-Health since the the 2nd Framework Programme, 1989-1990. The report comprises the EC eHealth Action plan for Europe 2004-2010 and was issued at the EPSCO Health Council, June 2 2004.

The action plan includes a sequential set of actions to be taken by EU member states and the Commission over the period 2004-2010. in three target areas:

• Common challenges including setting national roadmaps for e-Health, deploying e-Health systems and health information networks (broadband, wireless, grids); setting targets for interoperability and the use of electronic health records; clarification of legal framework.
• Pilot actions accelerating implementation of e.g. teleconsultation, e-presciption, e-referral, telemonitoring and telecare.
• Evaluation, confirmation of benefits and dissemination of best practices.

The strategy aims to facilitate access to healthcare in different countries with the EU by citizens and to improve patient safety. "The main objectives of the action plan are to improve access and boost quality and effectiveness of eHealth services offered in Europe, and enhance the European eHealth industry by making eHealth systems and services more interoperable and integrated."

• "To develop a roadmap for e-Health by the end of 2005
• Setting up a European Union public health portal by the end of 2005
• Identifying a common approach to patient identifying data by the end of 2006
• Identifying interoperability standards for health data by the end of 2006"
• 2008: "supporting the deployment of health information networks based on fixed and wireless broadband and mobile infrastructures and Grid technologies."
• "By end 2008, the majority of all European health organisations and health regions (communities, counties, districts) should be able to provide online services such as teleconsultation (second medical opinion), e-prescription, e-referral, telemonitoring and telecare."

"The aim of this report is to give an overview about countries’ basic indicators, governments’ action plans for eHealth, and provides a collection of different telemedicine projects and studies that have been conducted in Central and Eastern Europe. [The terms eHealth and telemedicine terms are used interchangeably in the report.] The focus is on the following 4 countries: Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia. [Cyprus, Romania and Slovakia are also teated in some detail.] Telemedicine work in these four countries is presented in separate chapters. The overview is divided into short introduction on EU 15 eHealth market situation, general information about Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and more detailed description of above mentioned four countries. The latter consists of presentation of official policy of each country, and eHealth and telemedicine projects/ pilots in the various medical fields where telemedicine is already of increasing importance."

Recommendations

1. "That a significant ring-fenced fund be created to finance eHealth projects
2. That HIQA is equipped and resourced as required to play the leadership role in the planning and implementation of a large scale eHealth investment programme
3. That HIQA develop a framework to measure and evaluate the totality of benefits that should be delivered and need to be delivered to justify the investment required in eHealth systems
4. That every eHealth investment is contingent on proving the business case against the health benefits framework HIQA should develop
5. Increased attention with regard to project management, user acceptance testing and user training for large ICT programmes to ensure that they do deliver their estimated benefits
6. That a formal project evaluation be completed at the end of every project to test whether the anticipated benefits have been delivered.
7. That HIQA and the HSE proactively seek opportunities for the deployment of technology to facilitate the Health Reform Programme
8. That current examples of best practice in eHealth are used as a basis for further development
9. That eHealth applications be designed and developed on a ‘shared alliance’ basis that facilitates patient care. There is little benefit in developing, as an example, GP systems that do not integrate with hospital or community systems. If patient interaction is placed at the centre of system design, then the resulting systems will deliver maximum patient benefit
10. That a programme be established to identify the feasibility and value of becoming an eHealth excellence hub
11. That third-level institutions, and other publicly-funded research institutions, are encouraged to develop a focus on eHealth
12. That Irish health agencies proactively seek to benefit from the funding and expertise available from participating in the forthcoming FP7."

Report on the introduction of telemedicine services into the Swiss healthcare system co-ordinated in part by the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (SATW), "one of four academies recognised by the Swiss government as institutions promoting research".

" This report from the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS), a public advisory committee statutorily authorized to advise the Secretary of Health and Human Services on national health information policy, outlines a vision and a process for building such a health support system — the National Health Information Infrastructure (NHII). "The NHII includes not just technologies but, more importantly, values, practices, relationships, laws, standards, systems, and applications that support all facets of individual health, health care, and public health. It encompasses tools such as clinical practice guidelines, educational resources for the public and health professionals, geographic information systems, health statistics at all levels of government, and many forms of communication among users. "The report identifies the human, institutional, and technological factors — existing and as yet undeveloped — that must be involved in building the NHII. The Committee recommends a strategy that gives the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services a key leadership role at the center of a broadly collaborative process for the public and private sectors. In addition to offering a detailed implementation plan, the recommendations in the report are unique in that they are comprehensive; they stress the need for information flows across sectors and with the public; and they attach equal importance to the personal health, healthcare provider, and population health dimensions. "The heart of the vision for the NHII is sharing information and knowledge appropriately so it is available to people when they need it to make the best possible health decisions. To meet the Nation's health needs, the NHII must serve all individuals and communities equitably. The interconnections made possible by the NHII would allow information capacities that now exist or are developing in the health field to be put to fuller use. Ready access to relevant, reliable information and secure modes of communication would enable consumers, patients, healthcare and public health professionals, public agencies, and others to address personal and community health concerns far more effectively. The NHII would serve important national interests. The Committee believes that implementation of the NHII will have a dramatic impact on the effectiveness, efficiency, and overall quality of health and health care in the United States. Serious problems such as public health emergencies, medical errors, and health disparities could be addressed in a more timely and comprehensive fashion. "