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Communicating faster, higher quality and more reliable information to patients was the focus of a round table debate among health professionals.
Against a background of increasing life expectancy and rapid technological change conveying better information to patients appears essential to provide patients with faster access to high-quality and more appropriate healthcare. How could patients get more reliable and high-quality information? Patient information has many dimensions as reflected by the wide range of initiatives at EU level. Such initiatives aim to address situations in which there is an information gap or problems with access to the right kind of information.
A couple of recommendations issued by the G10 Medicines Group (May 2002) dealt with 'enhanced information' and 'patient information leaflets'. A communication by the Commission, published as a follow-up to the recommendations of the G10 report proposes a number of practical steps to achieve better information to patients. Among these, the establishment of a 'Public Private Partnership', co-ordinated by DGs Public Health and Enterprise, for the monitoring of the quality of existing information.
The recently concluded review of the EU's pharmaceutical
legislation also touched upon this subject. A proposal by the
Commission would have allowed industry to provide information on
prescription drugs to cure AIDS, asthma and diabetes, directly to
patients. This proposal was, however, rejected by the European
Parliament.
A recent communication on patient mobility 
underlines a need to improve the
information available to patients on treatment options available in
other Member States and the rules governing the payment for such
treatments by one's national health insurer.
In a separate communication aiming to reduce social inequalities
regarding access to high-quality healthcare, the Commission has
proposed the application of the 'open method of coordination'
in this area.
The Commission adopted an action plan on eHealth
in April 2004 with a view to
improving the application of information and communications
technologies across a range of functions that affect the health
sector (including Internet-based applications, electronic health
records, telemedicine, etc.).
The European Medicines' Evaluation Agency (EMEA) has recently
completed a consultation
on the draft recommendations compiled by a working group with
patients organisations. The draft recommendations extend to areas
such as the transparency and dissemination of information, product
information and pharmacovigilance. The final recommendations will
be forwarded to the Commission for consideration.
A roundtable at the Centre for Health, Ethics and Society of the Madariaga Foundation provided a forum for debate on the theme of the 'informed patient' on the basis of a draft framework for action proposed by Cambridge University Health. There were representatives of the Commission, professional associations, patients and industry around the table on 29 June.
A number of key themes were raised in the course of the round table debate:
A number of speakers underlined the importance of the Internet in providing patients with appropriate health-related information. Education is essential both for the public, in the framework of health education and disease awareness programmes, and for health professionals. Some emphasised the role of the family.
One speaker from DG Infosoc explained that the eHealth action plan focuses on improving the access to, the quality of and the economy of health care on the technological side. The same speaker added that the challenge is to operationalise the action plan which runs until 2010.
A speaker from DG Research said that there is only one round of calls left from the Sixth Framework Programme. However, he also highlighted upcoming opportunities under the new Seventh Research Framework Programme for possible research into topics related to the better information of patients [FP7 will largely be discussed in 2005-6 based on a proposal by the Commission early next year].
A speaker representing the pharmacists stressed the importance of continuous training in order to improve the communication skills of health professionals. Another speaker, representing the doctors, highlighted the need to give doctors access to unbiased information.
Some speakers pointed out that there are differences in the availability of information in the new and the old Member States.
(3 June 2004)
(1 July 2003)
(7 May 2002)
(20 April 2004)
(30 April 2004)
(20 April 2004)
(20 April 2004) 
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