BRUSSELS – 19 April 2012 – COCIR, the European trade association for the medical technology industry, welcomed European Commissioner John Dalli and Belgian Health Minister Laurette Onkelinx to an Executive Roundtable as part of today’s COCIR Annual General Meeting (AGM).
COCIR Board members and senior executives from COCIR member companies representing healthcare, IT and the telecom industry took part in the session which focused on the role of eHealth in supporting Integrated Care and strengthening patient safety, the efficiency of healthcare systems and access to healthcare.
The session presented an excellent opportunity to interact with three key stakeholders, the European Commission, a Member State and industry. A supporting legal framework, interoperability, standardisation, business models, involvement of all stakeholders and data protection, as well as financial structures and return on investment were acknowledged as key criteria for a successful roll-out of eHealth in Europe and worldwide.
Commissioner Dalli also gave the keynote address to the COCIR General Assembly, highlighting the importance of healthcare reform and warning against making short-term budget cuts in a time of economic crisis.
COCIR Board Member and Chair of the session, Hans Vandewyngaerde said “Our industry has a proven track record of best practice on public-private-partnerships and sustainable financial models. COCIR is in dialogue with European and regional policymakers as they build the healthcare system of the future.”
Nicole Denjoy, COCIR Secretary General added “We are pleased to have a longstanding and productive relationship with Commissioner Dalli and are honoured to have welcomed Minister Onkelinx who outlined the first successes of Belgium’s eHealth platform, clearly showing the benefits of eHealth to patients and the cost-effectiveness of the healthcare system.”
For press questions please contact:
Kathryn Sheridan
COCIR Communications Advisor
00 32 (0) 496 116198
press@cocir.org
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