TABLE 2.

Examples of Digital Health Institutions

ExampleInstitutional FeaturesMandate and Focus Areas
Canada Health Infoway (founded 2000)16Independent, not-for-profit organization governed by 14 deputy ministers of health representing provincial authoritiesEstablishing strategic direction for electronic health records in Canada in collaboration with local authorities. Areas of focus include interoperability; information systems for registries, drugs, and labs; and innovation/adoption.
MedCom (established in 1994)16Danish coordinating agency for health care IT. Danish central government contributes to health care IT through its National Board of Health.Establishes standards for electronic data exchange.
eHealth Governance Initiative (established formally in 2011)17,18Created with agreement of member states, and reports to high-level councils of the European UnionCreated to promote eHealth services, establish strategies around eHealth, and help foster cooperation at the political, strategic, and operational levels. Four key areas of focus are identification and authentication of eHealth users, trust and acceptance of eHealth systems, legal issues (such as differing security and privacy requirements), and technical challenges.
  • Abbreviation: IT, information technology.