Best of European E-Health Announced

The 2004 awards for the best e-health projects in Europe have been announced, with three winners chosen from over 32 projects from across Europe. 

Sponsored by the European Commission, the eEurope Awards for eHealth were presented at the eHealth Europe Conference, held in Cork, Ireland, on 6 May. The winners were chosen from 32 different finalists who exhibited at the conference.

European Commissioner David Byrne and Micheal Martin, Irish Minister for Health and Children, presented the awards in three different categories of projects: eHealth information tools and services for citizens; eHealth administrative support tools and services for citizens; and eHealth homecare and telemedicine tools and services for citizens.

Commenting on the range of projects entered for the awards Commissioner Byrne said: “Some of the projects are based on better applying existing technology, others are based on cutting edge technology." Many of the projects have either been supported European research funds.

eHealth information tools and services for citizens

The overall winner in the category for ‘eHealth information tools and services for citizens’ was Switzerland’s Health on the Net Foundation.

Health on the Net Foundation has developed services to protect citizens from false or misleading health and ethical information. Its key service is a code of ethical conduct – HONcode – for web-site operators providing online health information, currently in use by 3,600 web-sites. Additional HON services include an accrediation system for web-sites and a search engine/directory of trustworthy information sources.

Honourable Mention in the category went to PQL- Pure Quality Life, Sweden, a web-based life enhancement tool, for which over 20,000 users have already registered.

eHealth administrative support tools and services for citizens

The overall winner in the category for ‘eHealth administrative support tools and services for citizens’ was Denmark’s national Public Health Portal, Denmark. Public Health Portal is the main access point to the primary Health Portal of the Danish health authorities, and enables communication and services between health professionals and citizens. The portal also provides facilities for citizens to book appointments with GPs, conduct e-mail consultations with their GP and renew their prescriptions online.

Honourable mention in the category went to eHospital – IT experience of Hospital Son Llatzer, Spain. Son Llatzer is a fully digital, filmless and wireless ehospital that has successfully implemented a global integrated and accessible clinical information system.

eHealth homecare and telemedicine tools and services for citizens

The overall winner of the category ‘eHealth homecare and telemedicine tools and services for citizens’ was Diabcarnet, France. Diabcarnet is the first large-scale online electronic logbook used for diabetes monitoring. Any diabetes patient in France can now use this eHealth application to better manage their disease in collaboration with their physician.

Honourable mentions in the category went to Ireland’s ‘Ait Eile’ portal. Ait Eile is an online interactive portal for children in hospital that aims to reduce their sense of isolation by providing communication, educational and entertainment activities.

An additional honorable mention went to VEPSY, Italy – further deatils at
http://www.cybertherapy.info. VEPSY – Virtual Environments and Telemedicine for Clinical Psychology project demonstrates the technical and clinical viability of using on/offline Virtual Reality Therapy (VRT) in clinical psychology and to disseminate the developed tools to the clinical community.

The full list of projects nominated for the 2004 awards:

eHealth Information tools and services for citizens award

• Vaccination Recall Service (A)


• National Health Insurance Fund of Bulgaria Portal (BG).


• AddictionLink (FIN)


• Web4health (D)


• Caring for Carers (IRL)


• VHI Healthcare Website (IRL)


• DRIVE – Drug in Virtual Enterprise (I)


• Pediatric Health Portal – Hospital Bambino Gesu (I)


• Quality in Transplant System (I)


• Free Hospital Choice Norway (NO)


• Portalfarma.com (E)


• PQL – Pure Quality Life (S)


• Infomedica (S)


• Health on the Net Foundation (CH)

eHealth administrative support tools and services for citizens

• Internet Access to Health Records (CZ)


• Sundhed.dk – A Public Health Portal (DK)


• Web Nurse Service and eHealth Portal (FIN)


• National Healthlink Project (IRL)


• Blood Donor by SMS and Internet (NO)


• ABC – Net (RO)


• DRAGO AP (E)


• eHospital – IT Experience of Hospital Son Llatzer (E)


• MHC – My Healthcare Contacts (S)


• Dokter.nl (NL)


• Patient Care Messaging (UK)

eHealth homecare and telemedicine tools and services for citizens

VIE-DIAB – Telemedicine Support (A) http://www.ai.univie.ac.at/oefai/kbs/diabetes.html
Diabcarnet (F), http://www.diabcarnet.com
USBone (GR)
Ait Eile (IRL), http://www.aiteile.ie
VEPSY (I), https://vepsy.elsag.it
Telewelfare.com (PL),  http://www.telewelfare.com
Thrombosis Digital Logbook (NL), http://www.portavita.nl or http://www.zelfmeten.nl