5th RTD Framework Programme

Success stories - IST

IST (Information Society Technologies)

Project details

Project reference:	IST-1999-14203
Acronym:	WIDENET
Title:	Offering World-Wide Services through an International Network on Health Records
Subject Index:	Information Processing, Information Systems; Medicine, Health
Objectives:	Objective: Europe has always been in the forefront of research in Healthcare IT, though there is a lack of joint exploitation of the results by the Member States since their policies and practices often diverge. From the industrial point of view, companies usually operate in language-bound territories, and are eventually swamped by companies from larger home markets. WIDENET proposes dealing with these shortcomings in healthcare, specifically in healthcare records. It aims to continue building a network of national centres following the model of the already successful PROREC Belgium centre, to deal, among others, with the exploitation problem, and also to establish an international European-led organisation to co-ordinate the network on the European scale and strengthen successful suppliers. The project represents a response to the European Parliament's call for high-quality healthcare to be available to every citizen regardless of where he is, and to the Commission's related aims to raise the quality of life. The measures consist of raising awareness of the issues in the healthcare sector, building independent criteria and offering services for evaluating and purchasing IT solutions, and a degree of accreditation of companies, health telematics services and products. Objectives: Communication of data between health care institutions and professionals is an essential component of modern healthcare delivery. Better collaboration between the different healthcare providers is critical for achieving the level of quality and continuity that European citizens increasingly expect. Efficient exchange of information is the key element for managing resources, evaluating quality, and raising cost-effectiveness. It is commonly recognised that IT is essential to providing such data, and the use of standards-based record elements is crucial for interoperation. WIDENET's mission is therefore to promote the adoption and extended use of Standardised Electronic Health Care Records and the required infrastructure. The project aims to provide a sound and effective instrument for promoting and attaining such requirements. The plan is to form a European Institute for Healthcare Records and Management that will represent the permanent network of National Centres and provide quality and affordable added value services to the European market. This fulfils calls from the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers, the Commission, and the Council of Europe. There is also an important goal dealing with the collaboration with strategic bodies (CEN, ISO, EC IST programme, EHTEL, WHO and national/international initiatives) to ensure that the European convergence is appropriately conducted according to their guidance and standards Work description: WIDENET will install in Europe and beyond its boundaries a permanent structure of centres focused on dissemination of information and provision of services related to comprehensive, communicable and secure EHCRs. To guarantee that new centres will comply with their endeavours, WIDENET will make an appropriate use of successful models applied in PROREC project, and more precisely from the reputed PROREC Belgium centre. National centres will provide actors with a series of useful services related to EHCRs, normally consisting of: - Raising awareness of the issues in healthcare sector, and the potential and implications of EHCRs, by means of conferences, fora, seminars, publications and web sites - Providing the required linkages between users, suppliers, and national authorities concerned with policy and resource provision in healthcare - Building criteria for evaluating and purchasing healthcare IT solutions, and a degree of accreditation of products and companies. The actual activities and their relative importance will vary between countries, depending on national needs, existing activities and structures, and national policy and practice. The activities envisaged, both on the international as on the national level, can be found on a scale ranging from informative, through advisory and monitoring, to accreditation and provision. This will be done through organisation, co-ordination and concertation. At the international level, WIDENET will co-ordinate the convergence towards comprehensive, communicable and secure EHCRs by collaborating with EU and international bodies like EHTEL, working in healthcare and ensuring that the EC's interests are reached. It will support reference services to preserve comprehensibility and clinical significance of terminology and classifications used the data that are exchanged. As an essential element for achieving this, WIDENET will collaborate with bodies like CEN, ISO, CORBA-med, to ensure that the European convergence is appropriately conducted. WIDENET will act as a Network of knowledge on National, European and International developments in Medical ICT. Information will be fed to the international centre, and guidance and direction will be provided from the international centre. Milestones: Key Milestones will be as follows: 1. Design and setting up of National Centres and consolidation of the permanent structure (according to the PROREC Belgium centre model), 2. Business plan and foundation of the European Institute for Health Records and Management, 3. Annual EUROREC conference The main results will be: 1. Concertation agreements with standardisation bodies and others institutions (CEN, ISO, EC IST programme, EHTEL, WHO and national/international initiatives); 2. Critical mass among target audience; 3. Added value services; 4. Web-based repository information, and 5. Promotional and dissemination material.
Start date:	2000.12.01
End date:	2003.11.30
Duration:	36 months
Project status:	Execution
Project cost:	972000.00 euro
Project funding:	972000.00 euro
Programme type:	5th FWP (Fifth Framework Programme)
Subprogramme area:	Key action Systems and services for the citizen - Health
Contract type:	ACM (Preparatory, accompanying and support measures)
Prime contractor:	Sociedad Andaluza para el Desarrollo de la Informatica y la Electronica Sadiel S.A.
Organisation type:	Other
Country:	SPAIN
Region:	SUR, ANDALUCIA, Sevilla
City:	Sevilla
Post Code:	41092
Address:	C. Isaac Newton S/n, Ed. Sadiel-Sodean, Isla de la Cartuja
Contact person:	CANIVELL, Mario
Telephone:	+34-95-5043600
Fax:	+34-95-5043601
E-mail:	mario.canivell@sadiel.es
Contractor:	Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research TNO, TNO-PG
Organisation type:	Research
Country:	NETHERLANDS
Region:	WEST-NEDERLAND, ZUID-HOLLAND, Delft en Westland
City:	Delft
Post Code:	2628 VK
Address:	Schoemakerstraat 97, POSTBUS 6060, 2600 J
Contact person:	FRERIKS, Gerardus
Telephone:	+31-71-5181388
Fax:	+31-71-5181902
E-mail:	g.Freriks@pn.TNO.nl
Contractor:	Hungarian Academy of Science, Mta Sztaki, Department of Informatics
Organisation type:	Research
Country:	HUNGARY
Region:	Region not yet available (HUNGARY)
City:	Budapest
Post Code:	1111
Address:	Kende U. 13 - 17, PO Box 63
Contact person:	SZANTO, Gyorgy
Telephone:	+36-1-2095271
Fax:	+36-1-2095269
E-mail:	gyorgy.szanto@sztaki.hu
Contractor:	PROREC-BE Vzw, RAMIT - Research In Medical Informatics and Telematics
Organisation type:	Research
Country:	BELGIUM
Region:	VLAAMS GEWEST, OOST-VLAANDEREN, Gent (Arrondissement)
City:	Gent
Post Code:	9000
Address:	De Pintelaan 185
Contact person:	DIERCKX, Walter
Telephone:	+32-9-2403421
Fax:	+32-9-2403439
E-mail:	Walter.Dierckx@ramit.be
Contractor:	Verband der Hersteller Von Patientenorientierten Informations- und Kommunikationssystemen E.V., VHK
Organisation type:	Industry
Country:	GERMANY
Region:	BERLIN
City:	Berlin
Post Code:	10787
Address:	Kurfuerstenstrasse 72
Contact person:	KAMPE, Dieter M.
Telephone:	+49-6181-71190
Fax:	+49-6181-78301
E-mail:	DMKampe@aol.com
Contractor:	Centre Francais pour la Promotion de Systemes de Dossiers de Sante Informatises Europeens de Qualite, PROREC France
Organisation type:	Other
Country:	FRANCE
Region:	ÎLE DE FRANCE, Paris
City:	Paris
Post Code:	75012
Address:	26 Avenue Ledru-rolin
Contact person:	ELKINE, Jacques
Telephone:	+33-56-2937733
Fax:	+33-56-2932429
E-mail:	j.elkine@medsyn.fr
Contractor:	Centro de Estudos de Novas Technologias de Informacao Aplicadas a Saude
Organisation type:	Research
Country:	PORTUGAL
Region:	CONTINENTE, LISBOA E VALE DO TEJO, Grande Lisboa
City:	Lisboa
Post Code:	1700
Address:	Campo Grande 14, 6 A
Contact person:	VELOSO, Mario
Telephone:	+351-21-7993915
Fax:	+351-21-7993914
E-mail:	marioveloso@centis.pt
Contractor:	Slovenian Medical Information Society, Institute of Social Medicine
Organisation type:	Other
Country:	SLOVENIA
Region:	Region not yet available (SLOVENIA)
City:	Ljubljana
Post Code:	1000
Address:	Zaloska 4
Contact person:	CIGLENECKI, Leo
Telephone:	+386-41-549388
Fax:	+386-11-314210
E-mail:	leo.ciglenecki@siol.net
Contractor:	Scuola Europea di Medicina Generale - SEMG
Organisation type:	Education
Country:	ITALY
Region:	CENTRO (I), TOSCANA
City:	Firenze
Post Code:	50123
Address:	Via Il Prato 66
Contact person:	NARDI, Roberto
Telephone:	+39-033-2850152
Fax:	+39-033-2477595
E-mail:	rnardi@tin.it

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Source: European Communities, CORDIS