BLOG: A look into the crystal ball - The European eHealth agenda for 2018

We are confronted with reports and research on an increasing number of impressively accurate IT tools that interpret images or ECG data, that advise on when to consult a doctor or that suggest proper therapies. The year of 2018 will be when these tools start hitting real-world care on a broader scale. The FDA has just certified the first Apple Watch accessory as a medical device: an ECG-meter that replaces the normal Apple watch wristband and that can be used in combination with activity tracking in a machine-learning environment to detect atrial fibrillation. Decision support tools with or without machine learning are coming of age, and this will force regulators to make up their minds on how to address them properly. The recent European Medical Device Regulation will make it tougher for healthcare IT tools that need medicinal product certification to make ends meet.