Electronic Cross-Border Health Services "to become operational in coming days"

The Electronic Cross-Border Health Services are in the final stages of implementation and the announcement of the launch of services in Cyprus is expected in the coming days, the President of the National eHealth Authority, Professor Constantinos Pattichis has said.

According to Prof. Pattichis' statements to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), the Electronic Cross-Border Health Services will initially include two basic services, the patient's Summary Health Record, as well as the Electronic Prescription and the Electronic Prescription Execution, making healthcare more accessible throughout the European Union.

As he noted, additional cross-border services will be implemented at a later stage, such as medical imaging reports, laboratory reports, and hospital discharge summaries, which will be available throughout the EU.

"Every European citizen, regardless of the European country in which they are located, beyond their country of permanent residence and regardless of the length of their stay, will feel even safer in case of illness or need for emergency healthcare by using the Electronic Cross-Border Health Services," the Authority President told the agency.

He explained that every European citizen, can contact through the Electronic Cross-Border Health Services a health professional in the area where they are temporarily staying, knowing that they will have access to their electronic prescriptions and summary health record and, therefore, an immediate response to any emergency that may arise.

It is noted that the Summary Health Record provides basic medical information to the doctor, ensuring proper care in emergencies outside the country of residence. Thus, the summary health record accompanies citizens wherever they are and, in case of an emergency, gives doctors outside their country of residence access to their medical history so they can provide appropriate treatment.

Prof. Pattichis further explained that through Electronic Prescription, citizens can obtain their medicines from pharmacies in other EU countries, facilitating continuity of care during their stay.

He also noted that "upon completion, Cyprus will provide advanced e-health services to its citizens, ensuring immediate access to critical health information and improving the overall quality of healthcare."

It should be noted that the National eHealth Authority acts as the National Contact Point for eHealth and coordinates cross-border health services, ensuring that the exchange of medical data is carried out in accordance with European standards and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Cross-border eHealth services, under the name "My Health @ EU," are gradually being made available in an increasing number of EU countries (www.neha.org.cy/MyHealth@EU).

(Source: CNA)