Project Context and objectives

CALLIOPE stands for "CALL for InterOPErability" with the focus on eHealth.

CALLIOPE is a network of collaborating organisations mandated with the planning and implementation of eHealth. CALLIOPE has today a membership of 34 organisations representing national governments and eHealth competence centres and 11 EU-level stakeholder organisations of health professionals, patients, health insurers and industry.

CALLIOPE seeks consistency that can be pursued through mutual learning, building consensus on good practices, win-win situations for all stakeholders, and common specifications for implementing interoperable solutions. All CALLIOPE’s work is done in close liaison with the Commission Services and the relevant standardisation bodies.

CALLIOPE’s aim is to expand rapidly from its original partnership into a broader open forum. The forum will bring together national stakeholder groups, and existing networks of professionals, patients, and organizations. CALLIOPE’s ultimate goal is to turn CALLIOPE into a sustainable mechanism. It will in the future address emerging challenges to EU level interoperability. It will build on its inherited governance, infrastructure and network management mechanisms including its targeted dissemination activities.

Services to be offered

CALLIOPE works in the eHealth interoperability sector at a European level.

CALLIOPE’s main objectives are to:

• sustain a trusted, open, equitable, informed and transparent dialogue
• synthesize perspectives, opinions and views
• formulate proposals (e.g. for an eHealth interoperability Road Map) that represent a balanced view and is supported by clear statements about the level of consensus achieved
• bring together ehealth stakeholders with needed competences and expertise
• produce value for decision makers and supports the planning of EU level actions.

CALLIOPE’s stakeholders have an equal footing in discussions and equal ownership of its process and results. This is the clear added value for all stakeholders of working together as a Thematic Network.

Potential Market

The European MS are all committed to implementing the EC Recommendation , some regions and countries, however, are more advanced in doing so than others in terms of their capacity to implement appropriate solutions. To enhance the possibility of interoperable and cross-border services, CALLIOPE will deliver a Road Map proposal as well as an over-worked “guideline” of the EC Recommendation.

Health care authorities, Policy decision makers, public administrations / governments :

This is probably the most relevant target group within CALLIOPE. A big effort is devoted to produce and disseminate a clear and consistent message to the authorities about the objectives, the progress and the results of CALLIOPE. Not just to the ones involved, or represented, in the project, but also to those not yet participating. The main goal of CALLIOPE is to build consensus, and eliminate barriers for an effective uptake of eHealth
interoperability. Awareness on Network activities is a necessary step in order to include its goals on the agendas of European governments.Contacts with health care authorities are established mainly with those in charge of health policy development and research, and those having the responsibility for assessment and evaluation of new services.

Health professionals:
(Health professionals can play a key role, especially in what concerns organisational aspects of ehealth interoperability. We approach them primarily through the EU professional organisations that are members of CALLIOPE and also through national and European congresses and exhibitions.

Industry:
Industry is an important stakeholder with major contribution especially in
the technical interoperability domains. Three large industrial fora participate in CALLIOPE and industry is again reached through the CALLIOPE members, as well as specific targeted conferences and events.

Areas of deployment

Generally, the CALLIOPE Thematic Network is an open co-operation platform with experts in the field of eHealth Interoperability. The platform enables the sharing of expertise and specific knowledge in between important stakeholders (ministries, competence centres, industry, etc.).

Future perspectives

Together with other EU-projects and initiatives (e.g. epSOS, Mandate 403), CALLIOPE tries to drive forward the need for interoperable solutions within the eHealth field on a European level. Consequently, in the up-coming project phase measures will be taken to make a clear proposal of a European Interoperability Road Map.

Duration of the Project

The project will last from June 2008 to December 2010.

Funding source

Public funding EU, EU - ICT Policy Support Programme

Project size

€0.50m

Links

• Website
• Information Society portal
• ePractice portal

Themes

• eHealth
• Interoperability

Contacts: