Welche und wieviele Gesundheitsinformationen brauchen Patienten?

Professor Don E. Detmer presented the results of a research project on "informed patients" conducted by the University of Cambridge. The project found that well-informed patients are less anxious, start their treatment earlier and follow their doctors' advice more closely. Additionally, healthcare costs drop in the case of better informed patients as they are capable of self-management and a more efficient use of resources. According to the findings of this research, the EU's future information framework should assure the quality of information, support decision-making, improve care management, while accommodating new information and communications technologies. Once this framework is created, implementation should be ensured at all levels, standards should be set to ensure the quality of information while patient health education and continued professional development should be supported. 

Representing DG Research, Dr Octavi Quintana Trias gave an overview of the ethical aspects of health information in biomedical research. The speaker explained that in health care, a tacit agreement is often sufficient, which is not the case in biomedical research, when the patient has to give his/her "express and written consent". Here, the patients concerned must understand the objectives of the research, risks and nature of the treatment, as well as their right to refuse and withdraw at any time during the research project. Patients are entitled to compensation where treatment results in harm coming to them. They must also agree to the potential uses of the results, including commercial use and patenting.

Dr Philippe Brunet, Head of Unit in DG Enterprise lamented the decision by the European Parliament and Council of Ministers not to support the test case to allow information on drugs designed to cure three diseases (see more under "background"). In his view, more (legislative) effort should be made to control the content of mushrooming health websites.

Dirk Broeckx (PGEU) provided the pharmacists' contribution to the debate. As a link for the citizens between the prescribers and medicines, pharmacists have a crucial role in the provision of health information to patients. According to a Eurobarometer survey (2003), pharmacists enjoy a "very high level of trust from the public". Pharmacists expect a good set of authorised information on medicines to be made available. PGEU thus welcomes:

• the set of changes proposed by the pharma review to the Package Insert Leaflet;
• the EMEA database
• and the forthcoming EU Health Portal.