The European Coordination Committee of the Radiological, Electromedical, and Healthcare IT Industry (COCIR) has thrown its support behind the European Commission's (EC) recommendation for an electronic health record (EHR) exchange format.
COCIR had recommended the EC extend the information exchange of patient summaries and e-prescriptions to include laboratory test results, medical discharge reports, and images and medical imaging reports. The organization is also urging the EC and its member states to allocate enough money and resources to accelerate the implementation and adoption of digital healthcare to better deliver integrated care.
"The continuing slow deployment of interoperable digital health solutions in member states remains a barrier for scaling up integrated care and bringing its benefits to citizens," said Nicole Denjoy, COCIR's secretary general, in a statement. "Member states need to deploy this recommendation at national and regional levels to allow healthcare professionals and citizens to securely access and use relevant health data, including in cross-border exchange."
COCIR added that interoperability standards do currently exist, and the EC and its member states should leverage these standards and encourage their implementation across the European Union.
