U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Neelie Kroes, vice president of the European Commission (EC) for the Digital Agenda, signed a memorandum of understanding on December 17 to promote healthcare IT interoperability between the U.S. and Europe.
The two organizations will promote a common approach on the interoperability of electronic health records (EHR) and on the development of educational programs for IT and health professionals. The memorandum stresses the need for a joint vision on internationally recognized and utilized interoperability standards for EHR systems, and increased competencies and mobility of IT professionals.
The objective of the memorandum is to create new markets and growth opportunities for industry in the e-health sector in both the European Union and the U.S. Sebelius and Kroes, who met while Kroes was attending a meeting of the Transatlantic Economic Council in Washington, DC, hope that innovation in healthcare systems, the pharmaceutical industry, and the medical device industry will be stimulated.
Related Reading
European Commission's 'digital agenda' includes health IT, June 2, 2010
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