eHealth Action
Empowering people
Project Description
eHealth Action is one of the Joint Actions that supports the eHealth Network – a network composed of all the European Member States that work on eHealth. Also known as eHAction, the project is the successor to earlier joint actions, and is part of the European Commission’s third multi-year programme (2018-2021).
The main goal of eHAction is to promote the use of information and communication technologies in health development.
Five important components of its work are:
- Empowering People
- Innovative use of health data
- Enhancing continuity of care
- Overcoming implementation challenges
- eHealth national policies and sustainability.
Of top priority among these is people empowerment.
Nictiz
Nictiz, an EHTEL member, together with the Ministry of Social Affairs of Estonia (MoSA), is responsible for the project’s work on empowering people. This process enables people to take more control over decisions and actions that affect their health, and increases their ability to act on issues that they themselves consider important.
Since the start of the programme in 2018, two people empowerment-related reports have been produced:
- a Policy framework
- a Policy proposal.
The policy framework contains all the theory behind achieving empowerment such as the elements of behavioural change are needed to empower people.
The policy proposal takes a closer look at the ways for a country to increase empowerment and the measures that can be taken at a national policy level. Nine policy areas include recommendations.
Both documents have been adopted by the eHealth Network. An overview of all the results and recommendations can be read in the digital magazine.
What’s in it for EHTEL members?
Given EHTEL members are really keen on the transformation of policy approaches, eHAction’s people empowerment policy proposal is key. EHTEL members will find lots of good advice in the documentation, which already forms part of a basic toolkit.
Users at the centre is just one important policy orientation. When working on digital health solutions for a person or patient, it is important to work with the user. One of the recommendations on people empowerment is therefore:
“Involve end-users in all phases of policy from policy-shaping to implementation and evaluation. Ensure a ‘whole system in the room’ process where patients and health professionals are involved and represented.”
Follow what came up throughout 2021. With Nictiz, the work package on people empowerment produced a digital toolkit, which included a leaflet and a downloadable presentation. Make sure that these elements form part of your own set of tools!
Officially, the project results were offered for adoption during the eHealth Network meeting that took place on 2 and 3 June 2021. The project’s closing event occurred on 21 July 2021. More information on developments will be available later in the year.
Contact information: Karlijn de Bruin, bruin@nictiz.nl
***For more information visit the project website***
