EC And US Agree On Health System Compatibility

The European Commission and the United States have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together on compatible formats for electronic health records (EHRs) and to promote education in health care technology.

Vice president of the EC Neelie Kroes and US Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Kathleen Sebelius announced, and signed, the memorandum at the Transatlantic Economic Council, a political organisation that fosters economic co-operation between governments.

Global Growth Of EHR Systems

Interoperability of EHRs is essential for the e-health market to grow globally, according to the EC. Adoption of EHRs is four times higher in Europe than in the United States.

Under the terms of the memorandum, HHS and the EC will exchange delegates and specialists to share information on e-health. They will also set up joint working groups, workshops and conferences to establish shared strategies on EHRs.

“Nothing makes more of a difference to people’s lives than good health,” Kroes said in a statement. “I warmly welcome today’s agreement. It is an excellent basis for the Commission and the US authorities to expand our co-operation on promoting the overall benefits of e-health for patients, health systems and companies.”

Under the agreement, EU and US companies will have greater potential to do business in e-health on either continent, according to the EC.

The US government is investing $20 billion toward the use of EHRs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“The partnership between the EU and the US, the two world leaders in e-health, sends a strong signal to all stakeholders that common standards and interoperability bring opportunities for a global approach for the benefit of patients, health systems and the market,” the EC said in a statement.

Using e-health technology can improve health care quality, reduce medical costs and increase the possibility of independent living, the EC reports.

The agreement is part of the EU’s Digital Agenda for Europe initiative, established in May 2010 and outlining the European agenda to boost its digital economy by 2020. All citizens will have access to online medical records anywhere in the EU under the Digital Agenda.

Companies such as GE Healthcare, KP (Kaiser Permanente) and Verizon Business have been working to develop health record databases that can support interoperable record types.