Public health indicators for the EU: the joint action for ECHIM (European Community Health Indicators & Monitoring)

Abstract

BackgroundPublic health policies aim to improve and maintain the health of citizens. Relevant data and indicators are needed for a health policy that is based on factual information. After 14 years of work (1998–2012), the multi-phase action on European Community Health Indicators (ECHI) has created a health monitoring and reporting system. It has generated EU added value by defining the ECHI shortlist with 88 common and comparable key health indicators for Europe.MethodsIn the 2009-2012 Joint Action for ECHIM project the ECHI shortlist was updated through consultation with Member State representatives. Guidelines for implementation of the ECHI Indicators at national level were developed and a pilot data collection was carried out.Results67 of the ECHI Indicators are already part of regular international data collections and thus available for a majority of Member States, 14 are close to ready and 13 still need development work. By mid-2012 half of the countries have incorporated ECHI indicators in their national health information systems and the process is ongoing in the majority of the countries. Twenty-five countries were able to provide data in a Pilot Data Collection for 20 ECHI Indicators that were not yet (fully) available in the international databases.ConclusionsThe EU needs a permanent health monitoring and reporting system. The Joint Action for ECHIM has set an example for the implementation of a system that can develop and maintain the ECHI indicators,, and promote and encourage the use of ECHI in health reporting and health policy making. The aim for sustainable public health monitoring is also supported by a Eurostat regulation on public health statistics requiring that health statistics shall be provided according to the ECHI methodology. Further efforts at DG SANCO and Eurostat are needed towards a permanent health monitoring system.

Advancing public health surveillance in Europe

“…As a substitute, data on the number of documented sick-leave cases with acute respiratory illness (ARI) were retrieved from a major Tyrolean health insurance (Tiroler Gebietskrankenkasse). This health insurance covers approximately 75% of the Tyrolean population [25].…”

“…But, after about twenty years of actions, a comprehensive and sustainable EU-level public health surveillance infrastructure is still missing. [21][22][23][24][25] Therefore, it is aimed in this thesis to identify conditions and factors relevant to advance public health surveillance in Europe. The thesis is focussed on the three perspectives: EU policy (Part 1), public health surveillance data and information sources (Part 2), and EU-level public health surveillance infrastructure requirements (Part 3).…”

“…[21][22][23][24][25]31 So far, a sustainable and comprehensive health information system that includes in addition to a data presentation mechanism also routine data management, monitoring and reporting facilities is not available on EU-level. Attempts have been made by a feasibility study on how to organise EU health monitoring in 1997, 13,55 by EUPHIX (European Public Health Information and Knowledge System, 2004-2008) -an EC co-founded project -, 56 and lastly by the EC (DG SANCO) itself who tried to establish a Wikipedia approach (HEIDI-WIKI).…”

“…However, stakeholders in the field provide examples indicating that public health relevant EU policies such as single EU policy assessments on the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) [25,26], pharmaceuticals [27], or the Health in All Policy (HiAP) approach [28] do not always meet the expectations of the public health community. In these papers the authors express concerns about potentially detrimental health effects [25,26] or disappointment about the support of the policies and approaches aimed at improving health in Europe [27,28]. Also, EU agencies such as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) are described as agencies with a limited legal mandate, competences and resources for EU public health but, at the same time, with promising prospects to develop as a renowned international player in the field [29].…”

“…high level groups, scientific committees, platforms) [22][23][24]. However, stakeholders in the field provide examples indicating that public health relevant EU policies such as single EU policy assessments on the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) [25,26], pharmaceuticals [27], or the Health in All Policy (HiAP) approach [28] do not always meet the expectations of the public health community. In these papers the authors express concerns about potentially detrimental health effects [25,26] or disappointment about the support of the policies and approaches aimed at improving health in Europe [27,28].…”