European Health Management Association asbl
EHMA
The European Health Management Association asbl (EHMA) is a membership organisation that is unique in bringing together policy makers, health managers, health professionals, researchers and educators across and beyond the European region.
ID: 352972410521-12
Lobbying Activity
Meeting with Maria Walsh (Member of the European Parliament)
16 Apr 2025 · European Health Management Association
Meeting with Josianne Cutajar (Member of the European Parliament) and European Travel Commission
9 Apr 2024 · European Health Tourism Industry Summit
Response to Evaluation and revision of the general pharmaceutical legislation
8 Nov 2023
The European Health Managements Association (EHMA), EPACT Alliance urges the European Commission and the European Parliament to seize the opportunity to strengthen hospitals pharmaceutical management pathways for 1. The welling being of patients and staff. 2. The availability, accessibility, and safety of medication in hospitals. 3. To build hospitals resilience and sustainability of their pharmaceutical management pathways. One of the main therapeutic activities of hospitals entails the supply, prescribing and dispensing of medication to patients. However, 80 million people in Europe have reported experiencing serious medication errors during hospitalisation. For the EU, it is estimated that an annual loss of 43 billion arises from medication harm costing health systems up to 3% of their annual health budgets. To close gaps in the current EU pharmacovigilance policy and legislation tackling the downstream determinants of harm to better protect the health of European citizens from medication hazards in healthcare settings is required. When a medication error occurs in a hospital, the healthcare professional involved can require up to a 3-month absence from work for psycho-emotional purposes. Contributors to medication errors are multifactorial and complex. Despite evidence repeatedly showing that digital medication management tools and systems can prevent harm from medication errors just 4% of hospitals in Europe widely use electronic medical administration records (eMAR) with barcoding. 35% of hospitals do not plan to implement it in the next three years. Equally, like medication handling and prescribing, the distribution and traceability of medicines in hospitals are carried out manually with 65% of general medicine/surgery wards, 62% of intensive care units and 43% of other hospital wards in Europe use manual distribution models. Medication shortages cost hospitals in the US 230$ million annually. Equivalent numbers are not available for Europe. As noted in EMAs (2021), Reflection paper on forecasting demand for medicinal products in the EU/EE the role of hospitals in supporting prevention and mitigation efforts of medication shortages in Europe is becoming increasingly important. Hospitals will be key stakeholders in supplying information to Member States' National Competent Authorities for the EMAs European Shortages Monitoring Platform to support production planning of medicinal products. Therefore, we strongly support stronger pharmaceutical legislation for Europe that reflects and incorporates the entire eco-system of stakeholders.
Read full responseResponse to Vaccine-Preventable Cancers
6 Feb 2023
The European Health Management Association (EHMA) welcomes the Commissions efforts to increase the uptake of vaccination against vaccine-preventable diseases and cancer through a new recommendation. The HPV vaccine has been shown to reduce the risk of cervical cancer by up to 90% in some populations, and the hepatitis B vaccine has been shown to reduce the risk of liver cancer by up to 95%. Increasing the population coverage rates for these vaccines has the potential to prevent thousands of cancer cases every year and is critical to effective cancer prevention efforts. EHMA has served as a not-for-profit membership organisation open to all those committed to improving health and healthcare. We focus our actions on health management capacity and capabilities and aim to support the successful implementation of health policy and practice where possible. Through our efforts, we make a difference across Europe to improve health for all citizens. EHMA has a strong understanding of the challenges Member States are facing when it comes to improving vaccination rates. EHMA has recently developed a White Paper outlining recommendations for managing digital transition in the European vaccine Ecosystem, with the ultimate aim of improving vaccination rates and ensuring that digitalisation improves equal access to vaccines over the life course of citizens. As a consortium member for the Overcoming Obstacles to Vaccination project (HADEA/2021/OP/0010), EHMA is also working to map the physical, administrative and financial barriers to vaccination, collect best practices for overcoming these obstacles, and foster mutual institutional learning about vaccination programme delivery between Member States. Alongside efforts by health managers to restore trust in vaccination through communication, these efforts will allow policymakers at all levels to properly address the barriers to effective vaccination coverage across Europe. Based on our expertise and experience on this topic, EHMA strongly advises the Commission to consider the perspective of health managers across Europe in the development of this new recommendation. Health management provides guidance and leadership to administer health at the individual, organisational and systemic level. Health management embraces a holistic vision of health, in which health is impacted by behavioural, social, and environmental determinants. Health management encompasses the entire health ecosystem in which health managers collaborate with patients, informal and formal caregivers, patient organisations, legislators, educators, policy makers and regulators, public health experts, researchers, health insurance experts, and pharmaceutical industries. Together, they aim to create a clear health vision and alignment strategy, as well as lay down the organisational, societal and technological conditions to achieve optimal health outcomes for individual patients and the entire community. Health managers are often the professionals responsible for the successful implementation of any new programmes to improve vaccination rates, from systemic changes to remove physical and financial obstacles to vaccination, to fostering effective communication and stakeholder cooperation with patients and care providers. For this reason, EHMA suggests that the Commission develop a recommendation for Member States advising them to actively engage with health managers in their countries and encourage closer collaboration with them regarding the uptake of vaccines that prevent cancer. EHMA also suggests that this collaboration should involve dialogue about the use of digital tools to improve access to vaccines and increase vaccination rates, and health managers needs for overcoming barriers to the implementation of vaccination programming. As Europes leading organisation focused on improving health management practice, EHMA is willing to facilitate engagement between the Commission and health managers in the MS.
Read full responseMeeting with Tomislav Sokol (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and Merck Sharp Dohme Europe Belgium SRL and European Social Insurance Platform AISBL
25 Jan 2023 · European Health Data Space - EHDS
Response to European Year of Skills 2023
14 Dec 2022
The BeWell consortium members wholeheartedly welcome the proposal of the European Commission to designate 2023 as the European Year of Skills. This position paper supports the upskilling and reskilling initiatives of the health workforce. Its supporting arguments are clustered in a way which highlights the importance and relevance of the 2023 European Year of Skills and the urgency to act. It outlines BeWell's own concrete plans for action in 2023 and beyond. IMPORTANCE The health workforce represents a significant share of the European workforce. Almost 15 million people work in healthcare occupations, representing over 7% of all persons employed and almost 4% of the EU population. A number of major trends impact significantly the demand for health services and determine the skill needs of health professionals. Demographic changes and the rising prevalence of chronic conditions and co-morbidities, the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) (such as cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory conditions and cancer), antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and the consequences of sedentary lifestyles have created pressures on health systems and increased the demand to reconsider the most optimal skill-mix in the health workforce. RELEVANCE Digital technologies in healthcare provide new opportunities to the health workforce by enhancing internal and external processes and managing large amounts of information. Yet, training on digital technologies is often offered only as an optional course. Healthcare professionals also report that they do not have enough up-skilling opportunities in order to make full use of the available digital technologies. In addition, digital transformation in the health and care sector should happen in a way that respects natural resources and the climate. URGENCY TO ACT A major challenge to solve is the shrinking and ageing workforce which is resulting in decreasing supply in the face of increasing demand. The health workforce itself is ageing. Recruitment, retention and improvement of working conditions have become a huge challenge in the EU and throughout the rest of Europe. All countries in the EU and Europe are experiencing health workforce shortages. Continuing professional development opportunities can make the sector attractive for new members of the workforce and can improve the retention of already employed professionals. Training initiatives can help to establish a reputation for the health sector as a healthy and person-centred work environment where professionals can thrive. Thus, it will become an agile and resilient sector which is able to adapt fast to new emerging challenges, and procure the relevant knowledge sources that will reduce the workload and stress levels of the workforce. BEWELLS COMMITMENTS BeWell will produce an innovative care and digital skills-monitor, a web-based online tool to capture skill-mix innovations, which will be updated on a yearly basis to capture new developments. The first version of the tool will be made available on the BeWell website in June 2023, during the European Year of Skills. BeWells main mission is to coordinate, design and develop an upskilling and reskilling strategy for the health workforce to enable the sector to embrace the opportunities offered by both the green and digital transitions. The first version of the strategy will be presented during the annual European Health Management conference in Rome on 5, 6, and 7 June 2023. Last but not least, on 13 December 2022, BeWell launched a health ecosystem large-scale partnership under the Pact for Skills initiative. The partnership will consolidate its structure and roll out its services during the 2023 European Year of Skills, and over the years to come in order to attract local/regional and national ecosystems and organisations committed to similar upskilling and reskilling ambitions.
Read full responseMeeting with Nicolas Schmit (Commissioner) and
16 Feb 2021 · Pact for Skills roundtable with the representatives of the health sector.
Meeting with Thierry Breton (Commissioner) and
16 Feb 2021 · Pact for Skills roundtable with the representatives of the health sector