The computer networks are up and running and rare disease patients are starting to enter their data. A year after their launch, the European Reference Networks are looking ahead to what it will take to truly perform their mission: connect patients with the Continent’s top experts, no matter where they live. Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis is one of the ERN’s biggest cheerleaders; he envisions them as the “backbone” of a broader pan-European health data network. Yet Andriukaitis was clear-eyed Wednesday about the three immediate challenges facing the ERN as they enter their next phase.
The first, he said, is making sure the ERN are integrated into national and regional health systems. Member countries need to assess whether they need to change their laws to aid success. It’s not yet clear how patients get referred into the ERN, and the exact definition of how member countries support the ERN is still murky.
Check the PDF file to see the last two immediate challenges facing the ERN and the coverage of the EU on Rare Disease Day.
