eHealth Sweden: “We are very digital.”

Maria Hassel, Senior Advisor and International Coordinator at The Swedish e-Health Agency, highlighted that health in her country has been digitized everywhere. However, alongside this digital proficiency, Sweden faces a significant challenge: standardization and interoperability.

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Speaking at DMEA – Connecting Digital Health event in Berlin, Hassel highlighted Sweden’s mature digital health landscape and widespread adoption of digital tools. Coming from a highly developed digital health country, her perspective offered a refreshing contrast, especially given the host country’s slower pace in healthcare digital transformation. Yet, despite this maturity, a federated structure with regional variation in digital infrastructure poses challenges to standardization and interoperability.

If you want to come to the Swedish market, you have to bring something really, really extra.

Challenges in standardization and interoperability

Hassel pointed out the need for a national digital infrastructure to ensure uniform access to healthcare services across the country. Additionally, she highlighted the intricate process of managing digital prescriptions, a core responsibility of the Swedish e-Health Agency. This complexity arises from the need to seamlessly integrate and ensure accessibility of digital prescriptions across Sweden’s decentralized healthcare system, while also prioritizing the security and privacy of patient information.

Hassel also emphasized the significance of the European Health Data Space as a potential solution to interoperability challenges. This initiative requires member states to achieve true interoperability, presenting an opportunity for Sweden to align its digital health systems with European standards and facilitate seamless data exchange across borders. However, navigating the requirements of the European Health Data Space adds another layer of complexity to Sweden’s digital health landscape.

European Health Data Space is going to help us because that requires of the Member States to be truly interoperable.

Role of the e-Health agency

As a government agency, the Swedish e-Health Agency plays a critical role in navigating these challenges. Responsible for coordinating e-health initiatives and setting regulations, the agency ensures compliance with standards while managing the digitization of prescriptions nationwide. However, with healthcare provision decentralized across regions and municipalities, achieving seamless interoperability remains a complex endeavor.

Despite these challenges, Sweden remains committed to advancing its digital health ecosystem through international collaboration. The e-Health Agency actively engages in bilateral agreements, such as the German-Swedish innovation partnership, to exchange knowledge and expertise. This demonstrates Sweden’s willingness to learn from global counterparts and drive innovation in digital health.

Maria Hassel spoke on a panel discussion at DMEA – Connecting Digital Health 2024, alongside panelists Kari Lehtipuu from VEIL.AI, Julian Springer from Trifork Digital Health, and Arild Kristensen from Norwegian Smart Care Cluster. The discussion, moderated by Stefanie Zenk from Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI), delved into the challenges and opportunities in Europe’s digital health landscape. With more than 16,000 visitors, DMEA – Connecting Digital Health is Europe’s largest event dedicated to digital health.