Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
9th International Health Sciences and Management Conference, İstanbul, Türkiye, 23 - 24 Mayıs 2024, ss.255, (Özet Bildiri)
Problem of the Study: The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the current issues in the European Union (EU) health systems and the significant deficiencies in the health data flow. However, the critical importance of current and reliable health data against major crises has begun to be discussed. In this context, European states have taken action to strengthen and renew their health systems and policies. In this regard, the European Commission, as one of the main priorities of health services between 2019 and 2025, took the necessary steps on May 3, 2022, and submitted a proposal to create the European Health Data Space (EHDS) for people and science. However, this process has some obstacles, such as data standardization, technological infrastructure differences, privacy and security concerns, legal compliance, and cultural differences.
Purpose of the Study: This research aims to identify potential obstacles/challenges that EU countries and health institutions may experience in sharing and integrating health data in the EHDS process and to offer solutions.
Method: The research used a broad and deep literature review about EHDS. A literature review systematically examines, classifies, and evaluates previous research, reports, and findings on a specific matter. This method allows for a better understanding of the research topic, creating deep insight and considering it in a broader context.
Results: The development of EHDS requires solid collaboration between public and private stakeholders, as well as national and EU activities. In this case, two different uses of the health data supported by EHDS come into play: primary and secondary use. Primary use: It supports data for effective health care at the national level. Secondary use: This data usage occurs when health data are required to evaluate public health and policy or to conduct research Although the acceleration of the flow of data on the digital platform and easy access to health data may seem optimistic in terms of health, it reveals some limitations in terms of security. It may seem simple to lose personal information about patients in the digital domain during an attack. However, selling data to economic groups can make citizens vulnerable. There may be interference by unauthorized persons in the system. This attempt may also endanger the person’s privacy. Fundamental system and security vulnerabilities may occur during the integration and implementation process.
Conclusions: As a result, ensuring security and privacy are critical to this citizen-centred application of health data sharing. The way to achieve trust is to prove that effectiveness in health data, research, and health management does not require compromising the privacy of the individual. The fact that even unauthorized people have the potential to access health data means a violation of privacy. For this reason, policy-makers must construct the legal basis and framework of EHDS very sensitively.
Keywords: European Union, European Health Data Space, Health Systems Integration