Like in 2025, top of the agenda in 2026 is everything that surrounds the launch of the European Health Data Space (EHDS).
European health and care continue, of course, to face many concrete immediate and long-term challenges. Systems and services are experiencing difficulties in dealing with a large number of threats, including handling major health conditions and diseases, facing ongoing epidemics, dealing with population shifts and changes, and needing to manage and organise upskilling and reskilling.
What is EHTEL doing in 2026?
Maintaining the approach initiated at the occasion of our 25th anniversary, the EHTEL emphasis in 2026 remain on implementation, deployment, and what implementers need. EHTEL’s Imagining 2029 work programme is therefore structured in three tracks. They build on earlier work developed by EHTEL.
The three tracks are on:
☑️ EHTEL was also present at, and involved in, a number of important European events and conferences: the EHTEL Thought Leader Symposium was fully embedded in the 2026 Radical Health Festival Helsinki - a leading international event focused on digital health innovation and transformation.
What's in it for me?
For EHTEL members and the entire EHTEL community:
🎓 Knowledge-sharing on real and do-able implementation strategies, including in change management and capacity-building, through webinars and workshops open to all.
🏛️ Engagement with European institutions and initiatives on the topic of the EHDS.
💡Answers to your questions from digital health experts.
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⚜️ Additional activities for members only: 🤝 Personalised opportunities to network, match-make on EU-funded projects, develop partnerships, and get together with a select group of organisations which are getting things done in digital health. 📝 Precious front-row insights into EHDS policy and implementation through active involvement of implementers in a European Health Data Space (EHDS) Implementers' Task Force 📣 Getting implementers’ voices heard through a range of policy-related Partnerships. 🌟 Showcasing your work to other organisations in the EHTEL community. |
Many of EHTEL's events are open to all. However, throughout 2026, EHTEL will be especially active with a set of members-only activities: check out the EHTEL Members' Workspace to access materials and calls limited to EHTEL members only.
We encourage you to approach us about these activities and events, even if you aren’t an EHTEL member yet. Or simply, join EHTEL.
Your own involvement and engagement in these important moves forward throughout the year are strongly welcomed!
Transforming Care Delivery, including the use of AI
The transformation of care delivery, whether in health systems or in care systems or both (when they are brought together as integrated long-term care), is moving ahead rapidly. Implementers are keen to have this shift take place. Part of the implementation processes needed involves AI, including “generative AI”.
This track will focus on work related to:
- Prevention and personalised dementia and frailty solutions.
- Assessing and interventions supported by digital health solutions
- Integrated long-term care / Digital maturity assessment tool for Integrated Long-Term Care
It draws especially on the work of two EU projects: COMFORTage and Laurel. EHTEL draws on its work as a member of the advisory board of the European partnership, Transforming Health and Care Systems (THCS).
Implementation strategies, including the European Health Data Space
This track has two parts. It is oriented towards:
- ⚜️ EHTEL members, through the regular meeting and activities of the EHDS Task Force.
- An interoperability hub with a focus on public health use of data, through the initiatives undertaken in the EU project xShare.
Support will also be given through liaison with projects such as Xt-EHR, i2x, and MyHealth@MyHands. EHTEL is an associate member of the latter two projects.
Change Management, including capacity-building
Building on a set of useful materials developed, and trialled/implemented, by EHTEL over a period of five+ years, many resources on tools and techniques are available. They provide useful reading and implementation materials.
This track has two parts. It is oriented towards:
- Inclusive access to healthcare promotion.
- Health workforce skills.
Its work is related to the focus of two EU projects: BeWell and Equicares.
Building on a set of useful materials developed, and trialled/implemented, by EHTEL over a period of five+ years, many resources on tools and techniques are available. They provide useful reading and implementation materials. Many are aimed at scaling up digital health and care.
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EHTEL remains conscious of its environmental commitments. Besides organising and attending some physical meetings, it continues with a green approach to meeting organisation in 2025 when it will hold a mix of physical meetings, virtual meetings, and hybrid meetings. Increasingly, the work of some of EHTEL members is moving towards the implications of environmentalism and sustainability for health and care.
