Irish doctors, nurses and pharmacists in Ireland will, in the coming years, be able to securely access and update patient health records from across the European Union, as one of the biggest improvements in data accessibility in decades is being rolled out.
The European Health Data Space (EHDS) facilitates healthcare professionals in Ireland to instantly view and update key clinical information, including Patient Summaries, ePrescriptions, eDispensations, medical imaging studies and related imaging reports; medical test results, including laboratory and other diagnostic results and related reports; and discharge reports, not only when treated in another healthcare facility but also when patients have received care in another EU country. The aim is to eliminate long-standing barriers that have left clinicians working with fragmented or incomplete records.
For many clinicians, the lack of interoperability between IT systems from different providers has added unnecessary steps to care provision. Over the years, new applications were added, each operating in its own silo and forcing clinicians to copy and paste data or re-
enter the same information repeatedly. The EHDS will help to bring order to this data ecosystem by requiring healthcare IT providers to adopt a unified electronic health record standard. Data will move more seamlessly between care teams, IT systems, and healthcare facilities, following patients wherever they are.
“Implementation of the EHDS will place obligations on Member States beginning in 2027 and continuing through to 2031. While giving full effect to the EHDS will take a number of years and follow a phased implementation timeline, the first steps have already been taken through initiatives such as the HSE Health App and the procurement of a Shared Care Record,” said Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Minister for Health.
Through the secure MyHealth@EU infrastructure, clinicians in Ireland will be able to:
• Securely access and update patient summaries across EU borders.
• View and issue ePrescriptions/ eDispensations recognised in other Member States.
• Check the discharge reports to ensure continuity of care and safety
• Retrieve laboratory results and medical imaging studies carried out abroad
• Use fully interoperable Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems for national and cross-border care
For Irish hospitals, GP practices and pharmacies, this is expected to reduce duplication of testing, cut administrative delays, reduce risk, and improve clinical safety. In emergency settings, it will contribute to faster, more accurate diagnosis and treatment decisions.
The EHDS is being rolled out in stages:
By 2029: Key parts of the EHDS Regulation will enter into application, including the exchange of the first group of priority categories of health data, (Patient Summaries ePrescriptions/eDispensations), in all EU Member States.
By 2031: The exchange of the second group of priority categories of data, (medical imaging studies and related imaging reports; medical test results, (including laboratory and other diagnostic results and related reports); and discharge reports, should be operational in all EU Member States.
The EHDS represents a milestone for European healthcare. By merging the digital and the medical, it sets the stage for a future where innovation, trust, and collaboration drive better outcomes for patients across the EU.
