Enrico Letta, the former Italian Prime Minister, has released a report to the European Commission on the development of the EU’s internal market. In his report, he focuses on creating more equitable health services for EU citizens. He believes that citizens should have access to more standardized health services and medical care.
The European Parliament has shown its commitment to this goal by approving the regulation on the health information area in April. This regulation aims to establish an internal market for health information within the EU. It grants citizens rights to their own health information, establishes interoperability requirements for information systems, and creates uniform methods for utilizing health data in research and development. However, the full benefits of this regulation will only be realized once implementing regulations and actions are put in place by the European Commission and member states.
Finland is actively contributing to discussions on these topics through projects such as TEHDAS 2, which aims to develop guidelines for implementing the new regulations. The nation’s expertise in health data management positions Finnish companies well to export their knowledge to other EU countries, a potential opportunity for economic growth.
The European Parliament’s approval of the health information regulation removes a major hurdle to the internal market’s development. As various organizations across Europe begin to assess the implications of this legislation, there will be a need for significant investments, particularly in countries where health information systems are still paper-based. This presents a valuable opportunity for Finnish companies to export their information systems and consulting services to other member states.
Finland’s early adoption of health data management practices positions the nation as a leading partner in EU projects. By capitalizing on this expertise, Finnish businesses can not only support the EU’s internal market for health information but also generate revenue for Finland’s national economy. Opportunities abound for strategic analysis, data quality assessment, metadata management, and the implementation of information systems in the health sector.
