What does Prof. Marc Noppen, Managing Director of UZ Brussels, think about the rollout of an eHealth platform in a confederal Belgium?
Professor Noppen is confronted each day by Flemish, Brussels and Walloon regulations, which are not necessarily on the same line. According to him the eHealth platform is above the community aspect and he can only applaud this.
As the Managing Director of a University Hospital in the Brussels region, Professor Noppen knows better than anyone else what the term ‘eHealth in a confederal Belgium’ entails. He is confronted each day with Flemish, Brussels and Walloon regulations, which are not necessarily on the same line. Professor Noppen: “the eHealth platform is above the community aspect and I can only applaud this. It is a first impetus for the creation of a type of super platform which must go beyond locally grown organic cooperation agreements between hospitals.” Putting computerisation onto the right track is a major challenge for UZ Brussels, just like in other hospitals. However, Professor Noppen sees motivating people to use the new communication technologies efficiently as an equally great challenge. “Allowing systems to talk to each other is no easy matter. Linking these with the eHealth platform afterwards as well will not be easy either, but I have no doubt that this will succeed. People are the biggest challenge. If you can convince people that IT exists to help them, you notice that the biggest opponents often become its biggest advocates. Training and clear communication are essentially important to the success of any initiative.” This is why he thinks the Health Innovation Forum is a brilliant initiative. The large attendance testifies to the fact that support actually exists for the rollout of an eHealth platform. It was also an opportunity to network and to exchange thoughts with others about innovation in the healthcare sector. He concludes: “the quality of both the workshops and the other presentations was at a high level and not unimportantly, understandable for both the doctor and ICT expert.”
