Towards a European card for health professionals Patrick Fortuit H Pro Card working group CODE meeting - 23 November 2007

Background of the project

The European Directive on professional qualifications Directive published at the official journal in Sept Transposition October 2007 Objective: facilitate the recognition of diplomas New: temporary provision of services. A legally established professional can provide services in another MS on a temporary basis more easily.

The European Directive on professional qualifications “ The introduction, at European level, of professional cards by professional associations or organizations could facilitate the mobility of professionals, in particular by speeding up the exchange of information between the host Member State and the Member State of origin. This professional card should make it possible to monitor the career of professionals who establish themselves in various Member States...” (Whereas 32)

The European Directive on professional qualifications “…Such cards could contain information, in full respect of data protection provisions, on the professional’s professional qualifications (university or institution attended, qualifications obtained, professional experience), his legal establishment, penalties received relating to his profession and the details of the relevant competent authority” (Whereas 32)

Report on the impact and consequences of the exclusion of health services from the Directive on Services in the Internal Market “ Calls on the Commission to set up a system for collecting data and exchanging information between the various national authorities on health care providers and to set up a European card to provide access to information on the skills of health care professionals and make that information available to patients, as well as to develop a reliable health information system for service providers with an obligation on national authorities to share such information ;” (2006/2275-INI Rapporteur Bernadette Vergnaud, adopted in May 2007)

Why do we need a card?

Facilitate and promote Patients’ safety and coordination of care Protect patients from the small number of health professionals that put patient safety at risk

Why do we need a card ? Facilitate and promote the mobility of health professionals in Europe

Why do we need a card ? Better communication between competent authorities Less bureaucracy

Other possible applications Continuing education (and validation of credits) Access to scientific data bases Access to medical files (with patient’s consent) Electronic signature ….

How did we work?

1st step: presentation document June 2006, following the adoption of the directive 2005/36/CE French competent authorities have worked together on a presentation document in order to present the idea to their European colleagues (CPME, GPUE, CEOM, CODE...)

2nd step: implementation of a European working group Representative of 10 EMS (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Spain, Slovakia), + PGEU and GIP- CPS join the working group After 3 meetings (Brussels, Vienna and Paris), the group reaches an agreement on the design of the card for the European side. The design is officially presented to the European Parliament on 17 October 2007 following the invitation of the two MEPs Bernadette Vergnaud and Evelyne Gebhardt

3rd step: call for proposal of the European Commission (DG Empl) July 2007: Answer to the call VP/2007/014 Promotion of geographic and job to job mobility for workers in the EU

Step 2: Agreement

Who will use the card? Every health professional listed in the directive 2005/36/CE and which benefit from automatic recognition : nurses, doctors, dentists, midwifes and pharmacists.

Who will issue the card? Competent authorities (CA) as listed in the European directive on professional recognition of diplomas. Definition of a competent authority « Any authority or body empowered by a Member State specifically to issue or receive training diplomas and other documents or information and to receive the applications, and take the decisions, referred to in this Directive »

How will this work? When there will be a microchip Direct interrogation of the data base of the competent authority of the country of origin thanks to the smart card

Example of architecture to study Country of origin’s database Host country’s database Health professional H Pro Card Data collection (on the health professional situation) Request : does this professional has the right to practice ? Competent Authority Data collection (on the health professional situation) Potential Employer Border Answer Information

How will this work? When there will be a microchip Direct interrogation of the data base of the competent authority of the country of origin thanks to the smart card Permanent up-to-date of micro chip No need for a creation of a new data base at a European level

Specifications of the card Credit card’s size 2 sides : one national side (specific to each profession and each country) and one European harmonised side

Specifications of the card – European side Harmonised presentation Profession Contact details of the CA Hologram Two languages

Specification of the card – National side (French example) Identity of the health professional Photo, Identification number, National required information. [Optional, when there will be a microchip] electronic certificates

Next steps

Finalising specifications of the European card; Officialise the European card for health professionals: Presentation to the European Commission, Mention in the directive on Health services, Consider how to generalise the use of cards : Brochure for health professionals, Brochure for the issuing of cards, Communication to health professionals and competent authorities, Start working on a study on « a European card of health professionals » Linked to the answer of the Commission on the call Work on the interoperability and technical issues Study of the architecture

Next steps Make from the HPro Card working group an official association according to the law and define statutes Set up an action plan for the HPro Card working group Resources for the project

Interested? Next meeting of the working group in Bratislava on 11th December 2007

For more information Patrick Fortuit Ordre national des pharmaciens de France 4, avenue Ruysdaël, Paris cedex 08, France Tel: 0033/