Introducing EHTELconnect

The starting point

• EHTEL Members look already outside their own context but finding time for this is difficult
• EHTEL Members look already at ways forward in a changing situation where the old compartments are moving and breaking down.
• EHTEL Members know how complex healthcare is and how increasing demands on shrinking resources are making this worse.
• EHTEL Members are interested in the eHealth community and in healthcare.
• EHTEL Member have an interest in improving quality, access, effectiveness for those delivering and receiving care.
• Now, EHTELconnect will help you even more:
• to simplify access to information, experience and people across the eHealth domain;
• to understand how other are adapting, to help find similar interests,
• to find people and organisations you can exchange ideas and work with;
• to help you navigate the complexity, find others who are working on aspects of this that are of specific interest to you;
• to help you develop and broaden this interest both for your organisation and for your own personal development;
• to help you to find ways to make a difference.

EHTELconnect - a networking platform

• EHTELconnect looks at eHealth in a similar way that the Internet providers look at the global market for information but in a very specific healthcare related way. It will have its equivalents for Google (source of information), FaceBook (means of connection and dialogue) building on EHTEL's experience of more than ten years in eHealth, and its access through its members to information about who why what where and when for eHealth.
• The audience is everyone who has an interest in how eHealth can help improve quality, access and equity in healthcare in the face of the challenges we face; or indeed people who are looking for ways to improve their current delivery. The link will be through EHTEL members and we aim to broaden this church as widely as possible to ensure inclusive access to understanding, considering and deploying eHealth.
• EHTELconnect will benefit to everyone who finds ways to use eHealth - patients, citizens, clinicians, HCPs, managers, insurers, health ministries in regions and member states - not in isolation but in informed collaboration with others who are also part of the care continuum.

EHTELconnect - Agenda

EHTELconnect has been launched as a service to existing members in May 2011 focusing on information assets that EHTEL already owns or has access to. As the programme develops, additional services will be added step by step building on the basic EHTELconnect services. EHTELconnect services also offer a specific encouragement for new members to join the EHTEL community and to become enabled on short notice by the new services.

EHTELconnect already includes:

• Information about existing Members available with specific information about staff which has been provided by the Member;
• Information to support the staff within the Member organisations;
• A calendar of events in the eHealth and related fields;
• Opportunities for EHTEL Members to participate in, attend, speak at or otherwise engage in eHealth conferences and events.

• In parallel, EHTELconnect will work on starting a series of Webinar opportunities, networking events and customised workshops.
• During 2011, EHTELconnect will look to invest in information sharing / knowledge development across the eHealth continuum, a document repository and search facilities, newsletter and other external items, project partner search capabilities and topical research e.g. for briefing papers.