Unlocking the potential for mHealth (mobile health) in the EU

The Green Paper on mobile Health (mHealth), announced in the eHealth action plan 2012-20, launched a public consultation on this emerging and rapidly developing technology, which supports medical and public health practice over mobile devices.

ACT

Green Paper on mobile health (mHealth) (COM(2014) 219 final of 10.4.2014).

SUMMARY

The Green Paper on mobile Health (mHealth), announced in the eHealth action plan 2012-20, launched a public consultation on this emerging and rapidly developing technology, which supports medical and public health practice over mobile devices.

mHealth could help transform healthcare and enhance its quality and efficiency. It includes:

• applications (apps) that connect to medical devices or sensors (e.g. bracelets, watches);
• personal guidance systems;
• health information reminders sent by text message;
• telemedicine provided wirelessly.

The consultation invited comments on mobile health from a range of interested parties, such as:

• regional and national authorities;
• healthcare professionals and associations;
• consumers and users of mHealth apps;
• app developers and mobile device manufacturers;
• insurance companies.

After highlighting the benefits and potential of mHealth, including huge global markets, the consultation sought views on tackling the barriers and issues linked to the wider use of mHealth in Europe.

mHealth issues

• Data protection (e.g. security of personal health data);
• big data (maximising the potential of large health databases/complying with legal/ethical requirements);
• lack of knowledge about the current EU laws applicable on mHealth;
• patient safety and information transparency;
• interoperability of mHealth solutions and devices;
• reimbursement models (for patients using mHealth);
• liability (who will be responsible for patients harmed by mHealth solutions);
• research and innovation in mHealth;
• international cooperation (supporting agreements, e.g. EU-US memorandum of understanding on eHealth/health IT);
• the mHealth market (how to support it in the EU).

The rise of mHealth

Some 100 000 mHealth apps - covering, for example, sport, fitness and health - are available for use on multiple mobile platforms. By 2017, an estimated 3.4 billion people worldwide will own a smartphone and half of them will use mHealth apps. If its potential is fully unlocked in 2017, mHealth could save the EU €99 billion in healthcare costs.

The public consultation ran from 10 April to 10 July 2014. The European Commission will publish the summary of responses in late 2014. These are expected to influence EU policy actions on mHealth in 2015 as well as funding programmes such as Horizon 2020.

The Green Paper is accompanied by a Commission staff working document on the existing EU legal framework applicable to lifestyle and well-being apps.

RELATED ACTS

Commission staff working document on the existing EU legal framework applicable to lifestyle and well-being apps - accompanying the document Green Paper on mobile health (mHealth) (SWD(2014) 135 final of 10.4.2014).

03.11.2014