Europe is known the world over for its universal public healthcare systems. But these systemsare at risk of becoming financially unviable and suffering from a lack of human resources to deliver the required care.
In the face of demographic change and financial austerity, we must rethink the way we deliver, organise and finance healthcare. Fundamental reform of our systems are needed, enabled by information and communication technologies (ICTs).
I do not mean big projects like the National Programme for IT, which have come to dominate the perception of ICT in healthcare. I mean new approaches for telemonitoring, electronic prescriptions, and applications that help prevent people from needing acute care and allow the elderly to live independently in their homes.
Many of these have been tested in the UK under the Whole Systems Demonstrator project and have demonstrated huge benefits for patients, medical specialists, and care workers and have considerably reduced health care costs and boosted productivity.
Why? Because this is not actually about the technology. I would love to make healthcare less intrusive and more personalised, as well as more affordable. The way to do that is to design care around patients, and the means of achieving that is better integrating digital technology into caring processes. That is worth fighting for, even if there are stumbles along the way.
At the centre of this vision is the power of data. By unlocking and liberating this data we can truly revolutionise health.
This vision is confirmed in a new report by a European Union eHealth Task Force led by Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves.
The report is a wake-up call for us all. We need to face some hard facts: in healthcare, we lag at least 10 years behind virtually every other area in the implementation of IT solutions. We know how technology can positively transform our daily lives, including the ways in which we communicate, learn and do business. Yet we continue to hold back when it comes to health.
By implementing IT solutions to preventative and continuing healthcare, we can improve the lives of everyone in need of services. Central to taking this leap forward is the need to put patients in control of their personal data – while also using anonymised data to deliver life-saving innovation.
On a practical level, we also need to get all our systems connected and talking to each other while ensuring both transparency and accountability. And, of course, this vision can only function once internet access is a reality for all Europe's citizens. Achieving this vision will take time and effort, but progress is being made.
The positive results of the UK's Whole System Demonstrator (WSD) pilot is a case in point. As is the launch of the 3 Million Lives.
The WSD figures speak for themselves: a 45% reduction in mortality rates and 20% reduction in emergency admissions show how patients and hospitals can benefit. I can't think of a better vaccination against austerity than spreading those results across the UK and Europe.
Later this year, a pan-European pilot Renewing Health will show how telemedicine can function across borders and different health systems. While the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing aims to add two extra years of active life to our lifespans by 2020.
But the most important message is to join this debate. We love our healthcare, your NHS. Now it is time to show that commitment is not just for now, but for the decades to come.
Neelie Kroes is vice-president of the European Commission. Guardian Professional.
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