Delivering and improving healthcare services through the use of the internet and other online technologies – also called eHealth – is an important feature in safe, effective, modern healthcare.

eHealth can include electronic prescribing, electronic health records and the online exchange of health information between different services providing care to patients.

“Patients must be at the heart of our healthcare service, both in terms of healthcare delivery and future service planning. A person-centred approach to care means, among other things, that people should be able to move seamlessly between all the types of health and social care they use and that crucially their health information accompanies them along the way. eHealth can support the delivery of this person-centred approach, also increasing safety and efficiency” said Professor Jane Grimson, Director of Health Information with HIQA.

HIQA has published Developing National eHealth Interoperability Standards for Ireland: A Consultation Document and is calling for feedback from healthcare professionals, the public, those who use services, policy makers, healthcare planners, health software vendors, and service providers on the development of eHealth Standards for Ireland.

“People who use services will benefit from eHealth in a number of ways. By ensuring that all relevant information about their care is available at the point of care, the risk of adverse incidents is greatly reduced, quality is improved, and the unnecessary duplication of tests is eliminated” said Professor Grimson.

A growing body of evidence clearly indicates that eHealth applications lead to major cost savings, improved quality and increased efficiency.

“Whether eHealth tools are used behind the scenes by healthcare professionals, or directly by patients, they play a significant role in improving the quality and safety of care” concluded Professor Grimson.

Health information technologies and eHealth systems are evolving and developing rapidly, so before any decision is made on what model of eHealth is appropriate for Ireland, it is essential to explore learnings from elsewhere and ensure that any future investment offers the best value possible and appropriately meets the needs of the Irish people.

One of the most important learnings is the need for appropriate national standards to be in place to ensure that information can be exchanged electronically safely and efficiently. This consultation document sets out how the Authority proposes to proceed with the development of an appropriate set of internationally-proven standards to underpin eHealth.

Feedback from the consultation undertaken by HIQA will inform this process and shape the development and direction of the standards.

Some of the current health information deficits, which negatively impact on the provision of an efficient service, include the lack of a system of unique identifiers for individuals, health professionals and organisations and the absence of a national, standardised GP referral system. HIQA has previously published recommendations and guidance on these and other areas of health information under its mandate. It is anticipated that the upcoming Health Information Bill will address these points, mandating minimum requirements.

The consultation on developing national eHealth interoperability standards for Ireland runs until 27 January 2012.

ENDS

Further Information: 

Marty Whelan, Head of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement
01 8147481/ 086 2447623 or email mwhelan@hiqa.ie

Notes to the Editor: 

• A number of countries, including Canada, Australia, England and Denmark have major eHealth programmes underway. The Authority has reviewed research and practice findings from these countries to inform the proposed structure for Irish eHealth standards
• In addition to direct benefits to patients and service users, eHealth standards also benefit other key stakeholders as follows;
  • For suppliers, standards provide greater market certainty, simpler procurement processes and the prospect of growth in export markets where international standards are used
  • For purchasers and implementers, standards simplify procurement including the assessment of compliance, improved confidence that the purchased product will be interoperable and greater potential to avoid vendor “lock in”
  • For policy makers and regulators, there are clear benefits in the use of international standards in particular through the promotion of solutions which have proved effective elsewhere.
• For other HIQA publications on health information see www.hiqa.ie. The most recent publications include:
  • Draft National Standards for National Health Information Resources
  • General Practice Messaging Standard Version 2.0
  • What you should know about Information Governance: a Guide for health and social care staff and
  • Recommendations for Unique Health Identifiers for Healthcare Practitioners and Organisations