A step towards the future of healthcare with the establishment of the Health Data Agency
Roche welcomes yesterday’s decision of the Belgian Federal Parliament to establish a Health Data Agency in order to facilitate the secondary use of data for research purposes while guaranteeing respect and protection of patient privacy. We have called for a coordinated policy with clear guidelines for this secondary use, and believe that the establishment of this Agency is an essential step for the future of healthcare in the country.
In 2021, Roche collaborated with the Open Data Institute to produce a report on Europe's preparedness for secondary use of health data and best practices in the region. It emerged that the data and technology are available in Belgium but that they must be unlocked, i.e. centralized and easily accessible, while being integrated into medical science.
Health data has the potential to make health systems more sustainable and improve patient care. They are transforming our ability to diagnose diseases earlier, treat them more effectively, or even potentially prevent them from occurring. Finally, they allow physicians to make more effective and safer treatment decisions.
We believe the future of healthcare is about personalization, and personalizing healthcare requires data-driven insights.
By facilitating the safe and ethical use of health data, we can accelerate medical research and drive innovation in healthcare.
We therefore look forward to collaborating with the Health Data Agency and other stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem to move things forward and improve patient outcomes.