EHEALTH : COMMISSION UNVEILS NEW ACTION PLAN.

Lifting barriers to the widespread use of digital solutions in health systems would improve the quality of health care, give patients more control over their care and bring down costs. So said the European Commission when it presented, on 7 December 2012, a new action plan on eHealth. This will be the second eHealth action plan - for 2012-2020. The first action plan was launched in 2004.

The action plan(1) attempts to: clarify areas of legal uncertainty; improve interoperability between systems; increase awareness and skills among patients and health care professionals; put patients at the centre with initiatives related to personal health management and support research into personalised medicine; ensure free legal advice for start-up eHealth businesses. The Commission also commits to issue a mobile health...