E4care

The EU4Health Work Programme for 2024

The 2024 EU4Health work program was accepted by the European Commission on December 5th.

The 2024 EU4Health work program is centered around:

Budgets for crisis preparedness (€ 485 517 000); health systems & healthcare workforce (€ 41 404 000); and health promotion & disease prevention (€ 70 900 000);
Digital (with a €25,750,000 expenditure).
(€ 117 600 000) Cancer
The EU4Health work initiative, which has a budget of € 752.4 million for 2024, will address health-related challenges resulting from the COVID-19 epidemic and Russia's aggressive conflict against Ukraine, among other things.
The program will also assist new policy initiatives, with an emphasis on cancer screening, mental health, global health, digital health, and pharmaceutical innovations. It will also deal with the need to increase Europe's pharmaceutical production capacity and innovate in the production of essential medications and chemicals.

project is a timely response to the EU4Health challenges!

by country

The following German policies support the country development in a digital health:

1) Digitale-Versorgung-Gesetz, often known as the Digital Healthcare Act (DVG), went into force in 2020. By encouraging the use of digital health apps (DiGAs) and telemedicine services, it seeks to hasten the digitization of Germany's healthcare system. Doctors may recommend digital health apps under the DVG as long as they adhere to strict quality and safety guidelines, and statutory health insurance will pay for the apps.

2) Digital Health Apps (DiGAs): The DVG established a new classification for medical equipment called DiGAs, or digital health applications. Healthcare professionals may recommend these software-based medical devices to patients in order to treat particular medical issues. DiGAs are put through a thorough evaluation procedure to guarantee their effectiveness, safety, and compliance with data protection laws.

3) The Telematics Infrastructure (TI) is a nationwide digital network that aims to enable safe communication and information sharing among healthcare providers, such as physicians, hospitals, pharmacies, health insurance, and patients. The implementation of electronic prescriptions, electronic health records, and other digital health services throughout the healthcare system is made possible by the TI.

4) Electronic Health Card (eGK): In the German healthcare system, patients can use the electronic health card, also known as the elektronische Gesundheitskarte (eGK), as a digital identity and access tool. Basic patient data, insurance coverage specifics, and access authorization for digital health services are all stored in the eGK. It is essential to the safe and seamless exchange of digital health information.

5) National Health Portal (Gesundheitsportal): The German government is working to create a national health portal that will give its people easy access to resources, services, and information about digital health. With the help of teleconsultations, online appointment scheduling, trustworthy health information, and other digital health resources, the portal seeks to empower patients.

6) Health Data Protection and Security Laws: The German Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) are two of the strict laws that control the security and protection of health data in Germany. To safeguard patient privacy and confidentiality, these regulations impose stringent requirements on the gathering, handling, storing, and sharing of personal health information.

7) Funding for Research and Innovation: To promote digital health technology and solutions, the German government funds research and innovation initiatives. Initiatives including digital health startups, partnerships in academic research, technological pilots, and pilot projects to test new services and applications in the field are supported by funding programs.

The EU supports the establishment of a framework for cross-border services and the growth of digital health among Eastern Partnership (EaP) nations and with the EU through the EU4Digital Initiative. This includes the building of an engaged eHealth stakeholder group throughout the EaP region.

To help achieve these objectives, Phase II of the EU4Digital Facility will:

Give advice on how to use patient data in accordance with EU standards and best practices when creating eHealth policies and roadmaps in the Eastern partner countries;
trial international eHealth services;
Encourage eHealth cooperation by planning events, facilitating communication between and within national bodies, and maintaining the collaboration portal created in Phase I;
Continue supporting the Eastern partner nations in their efforts to promote active and healthy aging, especially through the "Innovation Networks for Scaling Active and Healthy Ageing" (IN-4-AHA) project, which is supported by the European Union.

See e4care.eu educational platform complementing the framework!

On January 24, 2024, the European Commission established the "European Artificial Intelligence Office" as a part of the Directorate-General for Communication Networks, Content, and Technology's organizational structure. The job of managing the application of General-Purpose AI (GPAI) models and systems falls to the AI Office.

The European Parliament came up with the notion of creating an AI Office to centrally enforce the AI regulations. Since national authorities bear the majority of the responsibility for enforcing laws pertaining to AI systems, the AI Office is expected to serve a largely supporting role in this regard. The office's task is to oversee GPAI models and systems, which are the strongest AI models ever created.

Based on an agreement achieved in the European Parliament in December 2023, the EU's historic legislation governing artificial intelligence, the AI Act, is likely to be legally adopted in the coming weeks. The AI Office will be a key component of the enforcement architecture of this law.

Source: https://eufordigital.eu/european-artificial-intelligence-office-to-oversee-general-purpose-ai-gpai/