title: Rationale for a community strategy in the field of information and communications technologies applied to health care.
abstract: The challenge for Europe in the field of information and communications technologies applied to health care is that of addressing positively the problem of the widening gap between the expectations of the citizens of the type of care that can be made available and the limited resources to provide that care. If the expectations of the population are to be fulfilled, it will be necessary to find innovative ways of delivering health services and to do it more efficiently than has yet been the case. Advanced information and communications technologies will be important tools for Member States to achieve the levels of efficiency required. Based on the results of the Community AIM Exploratory Action, further collaborative work is required at EEC level to create an Integrated Health Information Environment (IHE) allowing essentially for integration, modularity and security.
authors.affiliation: Commission of the European Communities, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Santucci
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Asbjoern Jensen
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Bach
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Barber
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: van Bemmel
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bravar
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: van Eimeren
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Greinacher
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lamberts
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Puppinck
mesh_terms: D005060:Europe; D005544:Forecasting; D007256:Information Systems / Q000639:trends*; D007391:International Cooperation; D008490:Medical Informatics / Q000639:trends