Healthcare providers in Europe are facing incongruous challenges, including an aging population and an increase in chronic diseases or long-term conditions, while having to meet an overriding need to reduce costs and maintain high quality healthcare. These necessities fuel the demand for e-health IT in general, and electronic health records (EHR) in particular, but also create a new set of challenges, especially in the field of data protection. Western European countries have deployed EHR solutions for some time, with local players still having a strong position in the local markets. However, the consolidation of healthcare providers and insurers alters the scale of the installations and increases opportunities for international players. Their increasing geographic expansion prompts questions about how easily and cost effectively EHR solutions can be adapted to local conditions.


 

Executive summary
In a nutshell
Ovum view
Key messages
Methodology
Definition
E-health
Electronic health record
The case for electronic health records
EHRs are at the core of a modern healthcare system
EHRs improve treatment and cost efficiencies
EHRs in support of medical research
The stakeholders
Challenges
The role of the European Union for the deployment of EHRs
Healthcare spending represents a significant share on GDP
The market for electronic health records
Expenditure on EHR services
The early days of electronic health records in Europe
The geographic factor
Country uptake – anecdotal evidence
UK
Germany
France
Spain
Italy
The Nordics
Eastern Europe
Competitive landscape
US headquartered firms
International players
EHR deployment across Europe: a need for local adoption?
Barriers
Local culture
Common terminology/standards
Interoperability of systems/lack of standards
Cooperation
Recommendations to vendors
Recommendations

List of Figures
Figure 1: Ratio of healthcare expenditure on GDP in selected European countries and the US: 2007
Figure 2: Estimated expenditures on EHRs in selected European countries in 2009