An e-health driven national healthcare ecosystem

Information and communication technologies in health are no longer limited to data transfer and simple data processing. Health information systems are nowadays developed to support effective, efficient and equitable health systems, advising policy-makers and the public of impending threats, as well as longer-term risks to health. Healthcare systems are complex, need more security and must take into consideration the heterogeneity of users. The first objective of this study was to propose a country based methodology. The second objective was to show why the design and implementation of a healthcare system needs to follow a country specific approach dictated by the level of eHealth maturity of a country and its citizens. The third objective was to propose an eHealth strategy integrated in a pan-European eHealth ecosystem. The final objective was how to achieve a continuous updating of necessary knowledge in the eHealth environment via eLearning. We proposed a framework for implementing a national healthcare system based on an interoperable electronic health record which has been identified as the necessary element of a modern healthcare system. Within our active participation in EU funded projects, we applied the proposed methodology and developed the technical solutions for building appropriate pilot systems for verifying the concept. With the help of all stakeholders we managed to reform the relevant legal system in Cyprus for accommodating eHealth. Furthermore we developed an educational model for preparing medical and computer science students to eHealth technologies, and medical professional on-the-job training accordingly.