NFDI4Health at the Workshop on the European Health Data Space

The national implementation of the European Health Data Space (EHDS) was the focus of a workshop held on 18 and 19 November 2024 in Berlin. The workshop concentrated on the collaboration of stakeholders, ensuring data quality, and the perspective of data users. Iris Pigeot und Juliane Fluck from NFDI4Health participated and discussed processes and responsibilities.

In exchange on the European Health Data Space: Participants at the workshop in Berlin. (c) TMF e.V.

Secure Exchange of Health Data in Europe
The European Health Data Space (EHDS) is an initiative of the European Union aimed at promoting the secure exchange of health data between different countries. The goal is to enable an European network of health information to improve health research and patient care. The EHDS ensures that data is standardised, pseudonymised or anonymised, and easily accessible, thus optimising the quality and use of health data.

Objectives and Strategic Implementation at the National Level
During the two-day event, NFDI4Health engaged with stakeholders from the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG), the Medical Informatics Initiative (MII), the Technologie- und Methodenplattform für vernetzte medizinische Forschung e.V. (TMF), the Network of University Medicine (NUM), and other organisations to discuss suitable coordination structures, as well as the implementation and validation of data quality in the EHDS. The data request and provision process was also a key topic. In smaller discussion groups, participants looked at the role of data users from a user journey perspective. Under the moderation of Juliane Fluck (NFDI4Health), Sebastian C. Semler (TMF), Ralf Heyder (NUM), and Frank Wissing (GFDI Coordination Group at MII/NUM), they outlined future roles, tasks, and responsibilities within the EHDS.

Outlook on Collaboration
We are pleased to be part of this important exchange on the future of health data management in Germany and to contribute our experiences and expertise. The initiative NFDI4Health is developing FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) infrastructures for personal health data. In this context, BIPS holds a pivotal role: Iris Pigeot is the deputy spokesperson for the entire consortium. We look forward to continued collaboration!