health system

[2013 Patients’ Rights Day] Putting patients in the driver’s seat

On the occasion of 2013 Patients’ Rights Day (May 15) EPHA would like to stress that, although much progress has been made, there is still a lot of scope for health systems to benefit from an obvious, yet commonly underutilized and underestimated resource: patients themselves. As patients and consumers of health services - and we all fall into this category throughout our lives - we build up an enormous amount of knowledge over the years that takes various forms. Some individuals, (...)

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Also about: Health Rights and Patients , Healthcare services , Health Inequalities , public health , patient rights , Innovation , Health-promoting environment , health economics

[EPHA position paper] Reforming Health Sy­stems in Times of Austerity

Amidst the backdrop of the economic crisis and countries being recommended to reform health systems to achieve better public administrations and fiscal consolidation, EPHA launches its position on health system reforms. This position includes lessons learned and recommendations for equality.

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Also about: Healthcare services , Services General Interest (SGI) , Economic crisis , workforce , professional mobility , Health-promoting environment , equality

Clinical trials: Exploring the limits of transparency

Glenis Willmott MEP (S&D, UK) took the initiative to bring together experts to discuss the extent to which more transparency could be workable in non-commercial clinical trials. The debate, which took place in the European Parliament on 10 April, served to present the key arguments for and against increased transparency in the context of administrative and data reporting requirements for academic researchers and patient safety. EPHA’s Position on Clinical Trials urges political (...)

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Also about: Pharmaceuticals and Medicines , Health Rights and Patients , Health professionals , Research , Healthcare services , Transparency , Health Inequalities , public health , patient rights , pharmacovigilance , clinical trials

Policy responses to the economic crisis – a shift towards investing in health?

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Also about: EU Institutions , Civil Society , Access to Medicines , Economic crisis , financial , patient rights , Innovation , economic policies , council of the european union

New evidence on access to healthcare: austerity marginalises Europe’s weakest

On 9 April 2013, EPHA member Medecins du Monde European office (MdM) launched a new report that documents the effects of the economic crisis and rising xenophobia on undocumented migrants and other vulnerable groups at risk of exclusion from healthcare systems. Results show that the consequences of austerity measures are particularly strong in Southern Europe where many undocumented migrants are living in an administrative limbo. They are being joined by increasing numbers of European (...)

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Also about: Access to Medicines , Health Rights and Patients , Healthcare services , Health Inequalities , patient rights , health threats , migration , health economics , Austerity

[Save the Date] Third Flu Summit of the European Scientific Working Group on Influenza (ESI)

The third annual Flu Summit organised by EPHA member the European Scientific Working Group on Influenza will take place on 2 May 2013 in Brussels. It will be an opportunity to learn about and discuss with experts issues such as pandemic preparedness, new influenza target groups, and vaccination strategies. This year’s edition focuses on new developments and challenges in the influenza field, with special attention for discussions on safety and effectiveness of influenza vaccines. (...)

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Also about: Access to Medicines , Communicable Diseases , Pharmaceuticals and Medicines , Health professionals , Patient safety , H1N1 influenza , health literacy , public health , health threats , ESWI European Scientific Working Group on Influenza

European Medicines Agency Workshop on Medication Errors

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) organised a workshop on Medication Errors on 28 February – 1 March, a timely event given that such incidents are much more frequent across Europe than is commonly known. They are the most common preventable cause of adverse events in medication practice. The workshop was opened by EMA Director Guido Rasi who stated that, although the reporting of suspected adverse drug reactions to the EMA-administered EudraVigilance database forms an integral part (...)

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Also about: Access to Medicines , Pharmaceuticals and Medicines , Health Rights and Patients , Health professionals , Healthcare services , public health , patient rights , pharmacovigilance

Broadband cuts threaten European Commission’s e-Inclusion goals

One of the European Commission’s key Digital Agenda for Europe goals, namely to provide access to fast broadband across Europe by 2013, is threatened by a decision by European heads of state to slash the budget. This could further impede working towards equity in the area of eHealth. Under its Digital Agenda for Europe strategy, which has also recently been relaunched with new targets, the Commission’s objective is for Europeans to have access to fast broadband by 2013 while (...)

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Also about: eHealth , health literacy , Health Inequalities , patient rights , cross-border , health economics

[EPHA Statement] General Data Protection Regulation & Implications for Health Research

Data for health research must remain available for the benefit of society as a whole, whilst respecting the rights of the individual. 27 February, Brussels - The European Commission proposal for a regulation concerning data protection, released in January 2013, contains a number of exemptions and provisions crucial to facilitating vital health research within a framework of individual rights and protections. The public health community welcomed the proposal and its recognition of the (...)

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Also about: Cross Border Healthcare Directive , eHealth , health literacy , technology , patient rights , Innovation , Health in all policies , cross-border , Fundamental Rights

[Special Summary] EU General Data Protection Regulation and Health Research

On 17 December 2012, the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) released its draft report on the European Commission’s proposal for a regulation on the processing and free movement of personal data. The proposal and the amendments offered in the draft report have implications for a number of elements of health, inlcuding health research. This article takes a closer look at the potential effects of the new legislation for research (...)

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Also about: Research , clinical trials , data protection