Digitalizing and collecting health data in Sweden

The use of information technology (IT) in health care has the potential to facilitate care over distance in almost any clinical specialties, reducing time to diagnosis, improve equity of access for patients in remote areas, and improve quality of life and patient satisfaction. In particular, electronic health records (EHRs) offer the possibility of accessing fast and updated patients' information. With the potential of making easier for individuals to be more concern in their own health and care, by increasing contact between individuals and health care providers; but also by providing more efficient support systems for medical staff. In this paper, we present the Swedish current experience and future development in the use of EHRs, in order draw upon such example to apply this methodology for data sharing and collection in other European countries.