Bitkom on the European Health Data Space

Berlin, 3 May 2022 - On Tuesday, the European Commission will present a proposal for a European Health Data Space. Bitkom President Achim Berg states:

"Today, the European Commission is laying the ground for patients to quickly benefit from data-based, individual therapies or treatments "made in Europe". The European Health Data Space can massively improve medical care for people in Europe and we very much welcome the EU's initiative. The EHDS creates a common infrastructure and legal basis for the use of health data. It thus forms the basis for improved and faster development of therapies, medicines and examination methods, which will directly help millions of people - not least in combating rare diseases or coping with global pandemics. Patients will become more sovereign: they can access their findings, images, examination or discharge reports online free of charge, and with the best possible protection of their data. Additionally, they will be able to use digital health services anywhere in Europe.

For Germany, this means that we must now speed up the digitisation of our health care system. Compared to other nations like Denmark or France, we are late bloomers regarding digital health care. We must therefore push ahead with the expansion of the electronic patient file, the digital infrastructure for the use of health data and interoperability. In this context, it is important that the German Health Data Usage Act, which is planned in the coalition agreement, will be launched quickly and in line with European regulations. Bitkom expressly welcomes the fact that the EHDS also provides for granting private research the right to apply for the use of pseudonymised health data made available voluntarily. Germany is also lagging behind on this point. We must use the innovative power of the research-based healthcare industry to improve diagnoses, individualise therapies, and develop new treatments on the basis of data."

At Bitkom's Digital Health Conference on 30 November 2022, the key players in digital health will discuss data spaces and platforms, digital healthcare or tech trends in the health sector. More information can be found here: health-conference.de 

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