In times of crisis and budgetary restraint, EU governments still need to value innovation and new solutions to tackle the increasing pressure on European healthcare systems, experts say.
Since 2008, there has been a rise in health inequalities and they will continue to increase as current governments are running unsustainable health systems.
Governments must therefore innovate to make healthcare accessible, while still cost-effective and of high quality, experts say.
Barbara Kerstiens, head of sector for Public Health and Health Services Research at the Commission's Health and Consumer unit (DG Sanco), said European health systems had come under stress because spending was going faster than GDP.
The increased spending is driven by an ageing population, but also due to increased patient expectation toward health services.
"What we need in order to make the systems function is a highly specialised and skilled workforce. We think that investing in health research and solutions to address the issues is the way to go," Kerstiens said, at a conference on health innovation organised by think tank the European Policy Centre on Tuesday (26 November).
Elisabetta Zanon, director of the UK National Health Service's European office, added that even in times of crisis healthcare systems needed an investment and innovation push.
"Technology can help innovation. It can play a big role, but it has to be evidence based so that we really understand how we can improve healthcare and it has to respond to specific needs that we have identified in our health system," the director said.
Technology focusing on women
The ball is in the hands of the governments as the necessary new technologies for the future healthcare systems already are available, said Yves Verboven, director for Market Access and Economic Policies at MedTech Europe.
Verboven said that the industry pressed the 'pause button' a few years ago to change its strategy to provide more targeted technology that was fit for purpose.
"A lot of technologies have been developed which facilitate the development of new services. Normally eHealth comes up when people are thinking about medical technologies, but in reality there is a lot more which can offer this type of value," Verboven said.
Paul De Raeve, secretary general of the European Federation of Nurses Associations, mentioned that the industry needed to focus on women when developing new tools.
"When it comes to research we need to think out[side] of the box and this means changing culture and habits. This is difficult. We represent 3 million nurses of which 95% are women so when we move into the research area, we will need to have a gender approach," De Raeve said.
"In healthcare women are very important for design and innovation. If you don't have the voice and the views of the women, you'll lose it anyway," the secretary general added.
EurActiv.com
