Committees

Digital Health Advisory Group for Europe

The Digital Health Advisory Group for Europe (DHAGE) is a thought leadership platform for key decision-makers in Europe and the focus is placed on strengthening European cooperation and facilitating synergies between the work of the European Union, the World Health Organization, their Member States, HIMSS, and key stakeholders in European health and care. The Group is the new forum for discussing digital health between high-ranking officials from international organisations and national governments. It brings them together in a confidential environment that is conducive to lateral thinking and bringing up new ideas on how to transform European health and care with the better use of information and technology.
DHAGE is supported by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health of Finland and HIMSS, the founding members of the Group.

Participation in this group is by invitation only so is not included in the open call for volunteers.

Previous DHAGE meetings

The group’s 1st meeting in 2019 identified five underlying priorities for its member countries’ health systems:

  • Integrate health and social data
  • Create interoperability governance
  • Utilize data to create new services and increase product marketability
  • Expand AI-empowered healthcare
  • Increase digital skills in the workforce, patients and citizens

The group’s 2nd workshop in September 2020 focused on the theme of building the common European response to the COVID-19 pandemic by:

  • Nurturing the ongoing digital transformation of healthcare sped up by the crisis
  • Creating digital tools for managing the pandemic and preparing for future health threats
  • Creating a framework for cross-border exchange of health and social data post-COVID-19

The 3rd workshop of the DHAGE, organized in September 2021 focused on European cooperation solutions to promote digital inclusion and increase the resilience of society. Specifically, three areas were in focus:

  • Access to digital health for everyone, everywhere (health equity)
  • A digitally enabled workforce of the future
  • International solidarity and interoperability

The Group’s 4th workshop organized in June 2022 focused on the topic trust, with three main conclusions:

  • A supported legislative framework of the EHDS
  • Collaboration for accepted digital therapeutics
  • Develop environments to discuss failures

Access the full reports from the meetings below.

Reports

Chairs

Päivi Sillanaukee
Päivi Sillanaukee
Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
Ambassador for Health and Wellbeing
Ronan O'Connor
Ronan O’Connor
Vice President and Managing Director
HIMSS International

Participating Countries:

  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • Germany
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Netherlands
  • Norway
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • Scotland
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Wales

International Organisations:

  • European Commission
  • Nordic Council of Ministers
  • Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
  • United Nations (UN)
  • World Health Organisation (WHO)

Contact

Loida Lleonart, Associate Director, Strategic Relations, EMEA.

Jukka Lähesmaa, Senior Adviser, Permanent Secretary’s Cabinet, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Finland.

Organising Partners