In recent years, digital health has made remarkable progress. From telemedicine to e-prescriptions, to the ever wider use of health data, innovation is not lacking. But today, in Europe, the real challenge is no longer technological. It is political.
Although we now have the tools to transform healthcare systems, we do not always have the conditions to use them fully. The risk is that of an “incomplete digitalization”: advanced technologies, but unequal access.
The time for implementation
The European Union is at a crucial turning point. The implementation of the European Health Data Space (EHDS) marks a historic milestone: for the first time, there is an attempt to build a common infrastructure for health data, capable of supporting better, more personalized and accessible care. But the EHDS is not just a technical project: it is a political choice. It means deciding whether health data should truly circulate to improve continuity of care, whether patients can easily access their own data, and whether national healthcare systems are ready to interoperate.
Without real implementation, the risk is that the EHDS will remain a missed opportunity.
Digital inequalities: Europe’s key challenge
One of the main problems remains fragmentation. In Europe, access to digital health services still varies significantly from one country to another. This applies to infrastructure, regulations and even patients’ rights. In some Member States, digital services are fully integrated into healthcare systems; in others, they remain marginal or are hindered by regulatory barriers.
This unevenness is not only a matter of efficiency, but of equity. If digital health is to improve access to care, it must be accessible to everyone, regardless of where they live.
Added to this is another fundamental challenge: the shortage of healthcare professionals. Europe is facing growing pressure on its healthcare systems due to an ageing population, the rise in chronic diseases and difficulties in recruiting and retaining healthcare staff. According to various estimates, the continent could face a significant workforce gap in the coming years, with direct consequences for access to care and the sustainability of healthcare systems.
The European Parliament is addressing this issue through a report on the healthcare workforce crisis, with the aim of outlining a structural response at EU level. The ongoing debate highlights that this is not only a quantitative issue, but also one of geographical distribution and organization of care: rural and peripheral areas are often the hardest hit, while the need for more flexible and integrated care models is growing.
In this context, digital is not a luxury, but a necessity. Solutions such as telemedicine, telepharmacy, remote monitoring and new digital care models can help improve system efficiency and ease the burden on professionals, allowing more effective use of increasingly scarce resources and extending access to care even where physical presence is limited.
Beyond efficiency, digital solutions also have a direct impact on prevention and therapeutic outcomes. Evidence shows that non-adherence to therapies remains one of the most critical and least addressed challenges in European healthcare, contributing to around 200,000 premature deaths every year and avoidable healthcare costs of up to 125 billion euros per year. At the same time, digital access to services can significantly improve adherence: 57% of patients using digital dispensing solutions report better adherence, while 64% of chronic patients with time constraints believe that digital access would improve their ability to follow therapy.
These data highlight a crucial point: digital health is not just about convenience, but is a key lever for prevention, better health outcomes and more sustainable healthcare systems. For this potential to be realized, however, digital solutions must be fully integrated into healthcare systems and supported by appropriate policies.
Access to care beyond borders
Another key test will be the revision of the rules governing access to cross-border healthcare. In theory, European citizens have the right to receive care in another Member State. In practice, this right remains difficult to exercise. Complex procedures, lack of interoperability and regulatory differences make cross-border care more complicated than it should be.
In the coming months, the European Parliament will have a key opportunity to address these issues through work on the “Modernized rules for patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare”. This process goes far beyond a technical review: it is an opportunity to update a legal framework conceived in a pre-digital era and adapt it to increasingly interconnected healthcare systems.
The challenge will be to turn a formal right into a real right. This means clearly recognizing digital health solutions in the EU legal framework, simplifying procedures for patients – starting with reimbursements, ensuring true interoperability of health data and building a system in which access to care is not limited by administrative borders. In this sense, the modernization of these rules could become a milestone of future European health integration, strengthening patient mobility and cooperation between national healthcare systems.
Here too, digital can make the difference. Tools such as interoperable e-prescriptions, the European Digital Identity and secure access to health data, medicines and services can make cross-border care simpler, faster and safer. But for this to happen, they must be supported by clear, harmonized and non-discriminatory rules towards digital channels, truly centered on the patient.
From promise to reality
Digital health is no longer a promise. It is already a reality in many parts of Europe. The real challenge today is to turn it into a concrete right for all citizens. This means going beyond pilot projects and isolated initiatives to build a coherent, integrated and patient-centered system. It also means overcoming the regulatory barriers and cultural resistance that still hinder digital adoption. In other words, it means moving from innovation to access.
Because, ultimately, the success of digital health is not measured by the number of technologies available, but by its ability to truly improve people’s lives.
Martino Canonico, EAEP
Dalla promessa alla realtà
La sanità digitale non è più una promessa. È già una realtà in molte parti d’Europa. La vera sfida oggi è trasformarla in un diritto concreto per tutti i cittadini. Ciò significa andare oltre i progetti pilota e le iniziative isolate per costruire un sistema coerente, integrato e centrato sul paziente. Significa anche superare le barriere normative e le resistenze culturali che ostacolano ancora l’adozione del digitale. In altre parole, significa passare dall’innovazione all’accesso.
Perché, in definitiva, il successo della sanità digitale non si misura dal numero di tecnologie disponibili, ma dalla sua capacità di migliorare realmente la vita delle persone.
Martino Canonico, EAEP
Da leggere anche: https://www.eaep.com/en/2026/04/09/farmaci-con-ricetta-eaep-1-italiano-su-2-pronto-all-online-ma-normativa-ferma-al-passato
