Specialist Task Force 309:
Support to eHealth Starter
Group to investigate applicability of existing ETSI/3GPP standards
Who we are:
Team Leader:
Team Member:
Francoise Petersen
Thomas
Norgall
What we do :
This STF will develop a report with the title ”Support to
eHealth Starter Group to investigate applicability of existing ETSI/3GPP
standards”, to investigate
existing ETSI and
ETSI/3GPP standards related to the eHealth
domain and suggest future standardization activities.
Read our
Terms
of Reference
What we cover:
eHealth includes the application of information and
communications technologies across the whole range of functions that affect the
health sector in an international (e.g. cross-border) perspective, from the
doctor to the hospital manager, including nurses, data processing specialists,
social security administrators and - of course - the patients. eHealth systems
encompass tools for health authorities and professionals as well as personalised
health systems for patients (individuals) and citizens (community).
Examples include health information networks, electronic
health records, telemedicine services, personal wearable and portable
communicable systems including those for medical implants, health portals, and
many other ICT-based tools assisting disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment,
health monitoring and lifestyle management. (This
description is based on text at the Europe’s Information Society eHealth portal,
see
http://europa.eu.int/information_society/activities/health/index_en.htm
)
Why we do it:
The European Commission encourages EU Member
States to seek a balanced status among the detected needs of providing quality
care and social services to citizens, being compliant to standards, containing
costs at a national level, and managing services at a local level. The eHealth
domain has been identified as one of the priority objectives of the eEurope 2005
and i2010 Action Plans, while the eHealth Action Plan has identified and set up
the practical steps required to build a "European eHealth area":
- Basic level: by mid 2004, a European
Health Identity Card (EHIC) shall be introduced (already achieved);
- National level: by 2005, EU member
states are required to develop national and regional eHealth strategies;
- Interoperability level: by 2006,
national healthcare networks should be well advanced in their efforts to
exchange information, including client identifiers;
- Networked level: by 2008, health
information and services such as e prescription, e referral, telemonitoring
and telecare, are to become commonplace, accessible over both fixed and
mobile broadband networks.
There is currently no specific eHealth
technical committee in ETSI. eHealth related work has been performed in the ETSI
technical committees ERM, responsible for the standardization of electromagnetic
compatibility (EMC) and radio spectrum matters, and the technical committee
Human Factors (HF), addressing end user and usability aspects of Telecare
services. It is felt that the importance of the subject matter merits the
creation of a new ETSI Technical Committee (e.g., TC eHealth), but before taking
this step it is necessary to further analyse the work to be performed. This STF
will develop a report which will provide the results from an analysis of the
application of existing ETSI/3GPP deliverables for eHealth matters and identify
the need for further work in this area. Based upon the results from this STF, an
“eHealth Starter Group” shall undertake this further action to prepare a mature
proposal for the creation of a Technical Committee on eHealth issues.
Time plan for the work:
28 September to 21
November 2006 when the results will be presented to GA#48.
How to contact us:
If you would like more information, please contact the STF
Leader:
francoise.petersen@apica.com
You area also welcome to
subscribe to our mail list:
EHEALTH_STARTER_GROUP@LIST.ETSI.ORG
To subscribe:
http://list.etsi.org/archives/ehealth_starter_group.html
Note: this information is based upon STF working assumptions.
The views expressed do not necessarily represent the position of ETSI in this
context.