Dr. Mateja de Leonni Stanonik, head of the eHealth initiative which is funded by the European Social Fund, spoke about developing eHealth ICT tools and building a telemedicine network amongst medical institutions in the country. She stated that fostering such links and information exchange will enable improvements in the safety and quality of patient treatment, timeliness, the exchange of clinical data, greater efficiency and reduction in treatment costs, as well as patient-centred focus.

Dr. de Leonni Stanonik stressed that the value and importance of eHealth lies in a doctor's ability to make clinical decisions based on knowledge, and better knowledge translates into better care. Knowledge begins with accurate, relevant clinical information. eHealth is the optimal environment for the exchange of clinical information, and characterised by five advantages: the right information; the right patient; the right person (doctor) readily available; the right place; and the right time.

Dr. de Leonni Stanonik explained that in order to optimise the implementation of eHealth projects, changes have to take place in the following areas:

• organisation of project management;
• partial modifications in the priorities of the targeted eSolutions;
• increase in the involvement of all stakeholders, both patients and healthcare professionals;
• development of as many application solutions as possible, and test solutions for country-wide deployment;
• the fostering of a climate of trust amongst all project participants;
• the stepping up of communication with the public.

Key planned activities that have been laid down to increase efficiency of eHealth include, among others:

• to establish a central framework for interoperability under the Ministry of Health as a matter of priority;
• to develop application solutions for eReceipt, teleradiology and ePrescription;
• to implement additional solutions in parallel for e-police-emergency, e-lab, the participation of more actors during the course of treatment for chronic patients (e-Care), e-transfusion, TeleStroke, TelePsychiatry and telemedicine (including biosensor monitoring devices at home).

The presentation also discussed a 2009 study conducted by an IT research and advisory company on behalf of the Swedish Ministry of Health and Social Affairs which looked into the efficiency of eHealth in six European countries. Based on this report, Slovenia could potentially save about €5 million per year on ePrescriptions alone.

This eHealth project is seen by the government as an opportunity for Slovenia to prove on a European and global scale that it can take the lead in innovative ideas and approaches in the medicine and science domains, in international relations and in fostering unique international collaborations.

Further information:

• Official press release - Ministry of Health (in Slovenian)
• Presentation of eHealth project activities in support of upgrading the healthcare system by 2020 (in Slovenian)

• Related ePractice news item - SI:
  Computerisation of health services a key aspect of future health system reform