Digital patient file

EU Parliament approves EU Health Data Space

In Austria, there had been fears that the opt-out option for the ELGA electronic health record could be undermined by the new EU regulation.

(Bild: Vadim Guzhva/stock.adobe.com)

In future, patients and their doctors will be able to access their health data anywhere in the EU. On Wednesday in Strasbourg, the EU Parliament approved the so-called "EU Health Data Space" by a large majority.

The electronic health records include patient summaries, electronic prescriptions, medical images and laboratory results. Opt-out options are provided for in some cases.

There had been fears in Austria that the opt-out option for the ELGA electronic health record could be undermined by the new EU regulation. According to a statement from the EU Parliament, the new regulation provides for patients to have a say in how their data is used and accessed: Patients can refuse access to their health data by doctors unless it is to protect the vital interests of the person concerned or another person. Patients must also be informed of any access to their data and have the right to request corrections to incorrect data.

It should also be possible for data to be made available anonymously (or in some cases pseudonymized) for research purposes or for better political decision-making. However, this should be prohibited for advertising, insurance or lending purposes. After the Parliament, the Council (of the Member States) must now give its final approval to the regulation. This is generally considered a formality.