Today\u2019s launch of the HSE\u2019s Health app is just one small step in Ireland\u2019s painfully slow implementation of a modern digital health strategy, according to Social Democrats TD P\u00e1draig Rice.<\/p>\n
Deputy Rice, who is the party\u2019s spokesperson on health, said:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe arrival of the new HSE app, while welcome, is a reminder of how far behind we are in having a modern health service that has adapted with the times. The reality is that we have barely scratched the surface, with many of our health services still operating like we\u2019re back at the turn of the millennium.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe new app is the bare minimum we should expect at this stage, and this first version still places the onus on patients to maintain their own records.<\/p>\n
\u201cTwelve years after the first eHealth strategy was published, we still don\u2019t have electronic health records (EHRs) and our services continue to operate in silos, largely reliant on paper and pen.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn 2023, Ireland was ranked worst among OECD countries for digital health policies, and we continue to be laggards in this area. By comparison, 23 EU member states now provide access to electronic health records.<\/p>\n
\u201cIreland\u2019s progress has moved at a snail\u2019s pace. While the Health Information Bill has been in the works since 2008, it hasn\u2019t even passed committee stage in the D\u00e1il yet.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fragmented nature of data collection in Ireland has undermined the State\u2019s ability to plan healthcare services effectively and efficiently, and this continues to be the case.<\/p>\n
\u201cSl\u00e1intecare was clear on the importance of eHealth in enabling reform of our health service, and yet all these years later, we are only getting started.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe potential for eHealth to transform our health service is enormous but it must be prioritised and, crucially, properly funded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation has a lot to answer for when it comes to the failure to deliver on the 2013 strategy. The 2024 Digital Health Framework must not be allowed to suffer the same faith.\u201d<\/p>\n
February 25, 2025<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Today\u2019s launch of the HSE\u2019s Health app is just one small step in Ireland\u2019s painfully slow implementation of a modern digital health strategy, according to Social Democrats TD P\u00e1draig Rice. Deputy Rice, who is the party\u2019s spokesperson on health, said: \u201cThe arrival of the new HSE app, while welcome, is a reminder of how far […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":11561,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,642,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-padraig-rice","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n