/PRZOOM - Newswire/ - National healthcare IT programmes require considerable funds to be commissioned. Many also involve seamless integration with existing programmes to ensure successful roll out.

London, United Kingdom, 04/30/2008 – Vendors that offer highly scalable solutions and system integratration will be given preference for these projects, especially if they have experience in implementing large projects.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (healthcareIT.frost.com), National Programmes Supporting Healthcare IT in Europe, finds that multi-million dollar opportunities are being created for a broad range of solutions. The market will expand significantly as health authorities gear up to take on electronic medical records (EMR), national patient identities and a host of key technology solutions.

"Rising costs have been a prime concern, particularly in the publicly funded healthcare environment," notes Frost & Sullivan Research Manager Siddharth Saha. "Governments are keen on improving the quality of care by promoting quality standards, reinforcing the role of GPs, introducing DRG-like systems, improving decision making and ensuring more patient-centric healthcare delivery."

The public sector plays a dominant role in Europe and has led to centralised approaches towards implementing change in healthcare systems. This change involves key technology solutions such as EMR, patient IDs, e-prescriptions, smart cards and health IT infrastructure being promoted at national, regional and city levels. The levels at which these programmes are implemented are dependent on structural and funding mechanisms.

"The nature of healthcare systems and the mechanism of fund flows are interesting, as they act as indicators of national receptiveness towards large-scale projects and the integration requirements crucial to realise national and regional projects," adds Saha.

At present, the most difficult challenge faced is funding for these projects. Healthcare systems are currently under-funded, with budgets focused on operational expenses. However, this is slowly changing with healthcare budgets increasing year on year, and local authorities being suitably empowered.

Commissioning authorities have also begun to negotiate with foreign providers, putting pressure on local competition. Several EU obligations regarding e-health are also placing pressure on healthcare systems to initiate much needed changes in healthcare delivery.

"While national programmes present an effective way to undertake a systematic overhaul of healthcare systems, the level of cooperation required to realise this is easier said than done," remarks Saha. "These projects work on strict budgets and timelines, so modules need to be implemented like clockwork to prevent budget overruns. This level of co-ordination is a tremendous challenge for health authorities to achieve, as it requires unanimous buy-in from all health facilities."

If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides manufacturers, end users, and other industry participants with an overview of the national programmes supporting healthcare IT in Europe, then send an email to Patrick Cairns, Corporate Communications, at pcairns_pr[.]frost.com, with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, company email address, company website, city, state and country. Upon receipt of the above information, an overview will be sent to you by email.

National Programmes Supporting Healthcare IT in Europe is part of the Healthcare & Life Sciences IT Growth Partnership Service Programme, which also includes research in the following markets: European Electronic Medical Records, Computerised Physician Order Entry Systems, Healthcare IT Platforms, Patient Administration Systems in Europe, Clinical Decision Support Systems Markets in Europe, European Patient E-Booking and Healthcare Smart Cards Systems in Europe. All research included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants. Interviews with the press are available.

Frost & Sullivan, the Global Growth Consulting Company, partners with clients to accelerate their growth. The company's Growth Partnership Services, Growth Consulting and Career Best Practices empower clients to create a growth focused culture that generates, evaluates and implements effective growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan employs over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 30 offices on six continents.

National Programmes Supporting Healthcare IT in Europe M116

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