Strong Future for European Health Information Exchange Market

European healthcare policies favor interoperability, and vendors exhibiting understanding of interoperability standards stand to make gains. These are the latest findings of Frost & Sullivan (Frost, Mountain View, CA, USA), an international market research firm.

The Western European health information exchange (HIE) market is diverse, with different IT vendors supporting the process of information exchange at different levels. Frost & Sullivan predicts intensifying competition for vendors as European Union (EU) member states focus on building smaller, regional projects that will eventually feed into larger, nationwide e-health initiatives, accompanied by an encouraging growth of interoperability among public health information exchange programs.

Establishing interoperability will improve clinical care by reducing duplication in therapy, insurance, and coverage details, while enhancing overall management. As a result, vendors in the HIE space are embracing the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, helping to reduce the initial capital outlay involved, facilitating the adoption of health information exchange programs, and proactively and rapidly engaged both stakeholders and providers. In this context, the lack of unified communication standards for shared electronic health data remains a key challenge.

But hospital and laboratory consolidation are further major hurdles in the adoption of integrated e-health initiatives, as are mergers and acquisitions that bring together differently configured electronic medical records (EMRs). As a result, system integration within departments or with external participants may vary and this also poses a major problem.

“Electronic health record projects are long-term and require continual support and commitment from vendors,” said Frost & Sullivan senior research analyst Divyaa Ravishankar. “Even as several healthcare IT participants vie for a larger market share, it should be noted that preferred vendors are always the ones who exhibit strong leadership and an in-depth understanding of interoperability standards associated with health information exchange.”

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