26 November 2018 marked the exact mid-point in the implementation period of the Medical Device Regulation. On that occasion, COCIR decided to assess the status of the implementation on the top priority areas for our membership and formulated nine recommendations for the way forward. Read our half-time assessment here.
Artificial Intelligence also has our strong focus this year. In June we launched a dedicated Task Force on AI in Health. This new group is very successful and articulating its future actions around 7 pillars. During the European Health Forum Gastein, we co-organised the session “The future is now – AI as a driver of sustainable healthcare?” with active participation and support from GE Healthcare, Philips and Siemens Healthineers. Our President Jan Kimpen was a Speaker at the closing plenary “Commercial determinants of health and the global financial markets”.
On 6-7 November, I was a Speaker in 2 sessions at the AI4P annual multi-stakeholder forum conference at European Parliament in Brussels.
We continue to be active in the field of cybersecurity and interoperability not only at european level but also at international level, as part of our Digital Health focus for which we are highly recognized as a critical player.
On 14 December, Business at OECD organised their 3rd Forum on Health: Digital & Partnerships. I was a Speaker in Panel 1 “The data puzzle: scaling up digital transformation, interoperability, and data sharing” together with Mark Pearson from OECD, Despina Spanou from DG CNECT and Mathieu Boudes from EPF. Read more.
We are continuing our efforts on Value-Based Healthcare, which was the focus of my speech at session: “Access and Value: It's about the entire cancer pathway” at the European Cancer Summit (ECCO2018), held in Vienna in September.
Also in October, the Integrated Care Alliance (ICA), of which COCIR is one of the founding members, presented its ‘Multi-Stakeholder Digital Health Roadmap’ in support of Integrated Care at an event hosted by Michal Boni MEP at the European Parliament.
The Roadmap follows up on the ICA’s successful Call to Action ‘United Towards Integrated Care’ launched in the European Parliament in June 2016.
In November, we attended the EURO-CAS Conference: Advancing Trust in eHealth Interoperability. The conference presented the Conformity Assessment Scheme for Europe (CASforEU). More info here.
At international level, in September we attended the 9th China International Medical Device Regulatory Forum (CIMDR), in Fuzhou, China. Our contributions focused on Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Data Protection in Health.
Under the DITTA umbrella, we submitted an IMDRF Work Item on Cybersecurity which was finally accepted and took part in the 14th IMDRF meetings in Beijing in September under the leadership of China Food and Drug Administration.
I am now very excited to taking over from Patrick Hope (MITA) the Chairmanship of DITTA starting in January 2019.
We will be very happy to share with you very soon our 2019 strategic priorities in the context of the forthcoming European Parliament elections at EU level and even more at international level with the forthcoming IMDRF meetings that will take place in Moscow under the new Chair from Russia while continuing to dynamically contribute to UHC 2030. We are looking forward to celebrate our COCIR 60th year anniversary later in the year 2019.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2019!!
Nicole Denjoy
December 2018