Speech by State Secretary Martin van Rijn (VWS) at the culmination of eHealth week

Toespraak | 10-06-2016

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am honored to speak here at the closing of an exceptional eHealth Week.

This was a special week. For the first time the eHealth Week followed the principles to be a patient included conference.

Not only was the program build with patients input, where patients part of the audiences and sessions, it was also the first time a keynote presentation was delivered by a patient advocate.

Many great presentation have been given on this stage but I heard you were all most impressed by the speech Annemieke Vroom has given. A speech from a patient, from the heart. And I strongly believe that’s what we need to successfully implemented technology into care. The patients perspective.

Cause care must fit to people. It cannot be the other way round.

Fortunately, there are already a lot of IT applications and gadgets that make life easier and more pleasant for people who need temporary or long-term care.
Smartphones, iPads, computers and smart apps have become a standard element of care. They enable people to monitor their own health and – if necessary – communicate online with care providers.

This week many companies presented their developments en innovate ideas in the exhibition hall.

There were clever devices that help vulnerable older people to continue living independently. Like necklaces and bracelets with built-in GPS systems. They can help people suffering from dementia, for instance. If they stray a certain distance from home, a friend or relative is alerted. They can then make sure that mother or father gets home safely.

But despite these impressive advances, eHealth still isn’t always accessible for everyone.
Making a phone call, booking a holiday, taking a picture, watching TV, driving a car or doing your banking. In recent years these have all changed due to technical advances. And they’re still changing. As soon as you’ve got used to one new thing, another comes along. And it’s all getting cheaper, faster, more user-friendly and more attractive.

But health care is sometimes lagging behind.
Not in hospitals and operating rooms, of course, where often the latest technology is in use.

But in the daily lives of people who need ongoing care.

It is good that eHealth gets a boost. So that health care − just like everything else in daily life − can profit from all the wonderful inventions that make our lives better.

I am proud that large technology companies (such as Philips and Apple), insurers and healthcare organizations (Focuscura, Cordaan) have announced this week to intensify cooperation to assure that eHealth will soon become an inherent part of our long-term care system.

This eHealth Week has given a platform where businesses and academics could meet and start partnerships.
And that’s crucial, if the many wonderful ideas coming out of universities and colleges of technology are to progress beyond studies or garages. Creativity alone is not enough.

During the last few days we of course talked about IT. And we also talked about the amazing power IT could bring to people.

But what was different is that we talked about societal challenges as well. About the need to include end-users, attract investments, and how to mobilize the community. It is quite easy to talk IT with people who love tech. It is a lot harder to create links between the tech domain and the social fields. I think we made a big step forward on this part.

The last few days have also been important in terms of what we want to achieve in the Netherlands. In three years’ time, we want 80 per cent of Dutch people with chronic illnesses to have access to their medical data. We want 75 per cent of this group – along with older people still living at home – to be able to monitor their own health. And we want everyone who receives care and support in the home to be able to communicate 24 hours a day with a care provider.

These goals are realistic and ambitious at the same time.
Realistic, because it’s already possible.
Ambitious, because it takes a lot of work to make it happen.

At the same time, we want to ensure that good eHealth initiatives get to the patient faster and become an integral part of the healthcare system. As you may know, our health minister Edith Schippers announced this week that 20 million euros will be made available for this over the next four years.

And that ties in excellently with what’s been central this week: people.

People who want to use eHealth should be able to decide themselves what they need.
So that they can go on living independently and stay in control of their lives.
The technology is there for them, not the other way around.

So eHealth should not make life more impersonal, it will make life more pleasant.

eHealth will help people to go on living in their own, familiar surroundings. To make their own decisions about what they want to do. To stay close to the people they’ve known for years, and who can help them when needed.  

At the same time, eHealth should ensure that care providers have more time to give personal attention to people who need it. Robots can do things, but they can not replace love.

And last, but not least: e-health could help prevent care becoming unaffordable.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I found the eHealth week most inspiring, and I am confident that the vibe I’ve felt here, will continue.

A healthcare transition that increasingly focuses on people is something else that will continue. People, rather than care institutions, will decide what care and support they need. And a good Ehealth system will respond in smart ways.

I look forward to seeing you all again in Malta next year. And I hope that we can all be proud that eHealth has made a giant leap forward.

Before then, in six months’ time, I want to meet with our Dutch partners again to promote eHealth and talk with patients about what it can do for them. For that purpose we will organize a awarenessweek. I invite all stakeholders to join in: clients, insurers, professionals, technology companies and anyone else who recognises the great importance of e-health to health care.

Cause I strongly believe that the push for broad use of eHealth will not come from the government alone. Not through the insurers. Not from the industry. And even not from startups. It will come from people demanding the use of these innovations.

And that’s what it is all about: from systems to people.

Thank you.