The use of data is central to improved diagnoses and treatments, better understanding of diseases, and effective preventive measures. However, due to the highly sensitive nature of such information, it is fraught with difficulty.
“Health is perhaps the hardest challenge to address on the European scene,” comments Ralf Hustadt, Luxembourg’s national coordinator of the European Gaia-X data initiative at Luxinnovation. “It involves working together with different stakeholders and meeting high standards for security and compliance.”
The innovative initiative Dataspace4Health aims to find solutions to overcome this challenge by facilitating health data exchange while fully adhering to EU regulations and Gaia-X standards.
This collaborative project is led by NTT DATA, Hôpitaux Robert Schuman, Luxembourg Institute of Health, the University of Luxembourg, Agence eSanté, Luxembourg National Data Service and is co-financed by the Ministry of the Economy as part of Luxembourg’s national Gaia-X strategy.
Open ecosystem for health data exchange
The Dataspace4Health platform will foster research and innovation by providing secure access to health data, thereby enabling research that will ultimately lead to improved healthcare outcomes. It will also help build a connected ecosystem by establishing a secure and efficient layer for data sharing across institutions, fostering collaboration and advancements.
“Dataspace4Health represents a significant stride in our mission towards digital transformation in healthcare. Our aim is to build a healthcare ecosystem that is more connected, secure and efficient,” says Olivier Posty, Managing Director at NTT Ltd Luxembourg. “With this open platform, we’re not only leveraging our global technological expertise but also integrating our deep understanding of local needs.”
Our aim is to build a healthcare ecosystem that is more connected, secure and efficient.
The project is motivated by the need for a new approach to health data exchange that respects the GDPR, the EU’s data privacy legislation and patients’ rights. Currently health data is often siloed, fragmented and underutilised, which limits the potential for innovation and research.
The project will explore how to use Gaia-X as a European framework for data spaces that ensures data protection, security and interoperability. It will also demonstrate the benefits of data-driven innovation and AI for healthcare and research, such as improving diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases, enhancing patient outcomes and quality of life, and advancing scientific knowledge and discovery.
Investment in the future of healthcare
Dataspace4Health represents a substantial investment in the future of healthcare in Luxembourg. “We see this initiative as a crucial step towards realising our vision of a digitally transformed healthcare system,” comments Dr Marc Berna, CEO of Hôpitaux Robert Schuman.
We see this initiative as a crucial step towards realising our vision of a digitally transformed healthcare system.
The initiative is use-case driven and has been validated through initial applications in diabetes and oncology scenarios, paving the way for future applications in other healthcare areas. This collaborative effort, led by a consortium of domain and industry leaders, is open to onboard additional members.
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