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Medical Informatics

Funding Scheme

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1

Contents

Preface

2

Summary 3

1.

Motivation

3

1.1 Researching diseases – for healthy living ... 4

1.2 Combining disciplines – for individualized medicine ... 4

1.3 Using the wealth of data – for improved patient care... 5

2.

Funding policy strategies

7

2.1 Uniting medicine and information technology ... 7

2.2 Strengthening bioinformatics and medical informatics research... 8

2.3 Establishing better, data-based patient care... 8

3.

„Medical Informatics“ funding scheme

9

3.1 Funding scheme aims... 9

3.2 Structure of the funding scheme...11

3.3 Conceptual phase...12

3.4 Phase I: Development and networking...13

3.5 Phase II: Consolidation and further development ...14

3.6 Supplementary funding modules...15

3.7 National steering committee...15

Looking Ahead

16

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-Preface

The volume of digital data available in medicine is growing at a rapid pace. A great deal of data is generated in a very short time, for instance in biomedical research on major common diseases such as cancer or diabetes. A lot of health information is also accumulated in patient care records when treatments are prescribed and their progress is tracked. Medical informat -ics plays a decisive role in this scenario.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is supporting the field of medical informatics under this funding scheme. Holistic solutions are to establish meaningful links between the data from patient care and research. Up to now, this information has mostly existed in many different forms and only occasionally does any compilation thereof occur. The aim is to improve research opportunities in medicine and individualized patient care through innovative IT solutions. I am convinced that medical informatics offers great poten -tial. The planned exchange of data between research and the patient care sector will improve diagnosis and treatments for patients, and the participating clinics will enjoy a clear com -petitive advantage in the future.

Prof. Dr. Johanna Wanka

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3

Summary

Digitalization is spreading quickly to the health care sector. More and more medi­ cal data – X-rays, medical reports or blood parameters – is available in digital form nowadays. At the same time, biomedical research is generating ever larger amounts of data. Together these data have the potential to make great improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

The “Medical Informatics” funding scheme will advance the opportunities of digi­ talization for the field of medicine. The aim is to improve medical research opportu­ nities and patient care through innovative IT solutions. These solutions will enable the exchange and use of data from health care and clinical and biomedical research across institutions and locations.

Medical informatics

“is the science of systematic collection, maintenance, storage, retrieval and provision of the data, information and knowledge in medicine and the health care sector. It is driven

by the desire to achieve the best health care possible”.

(Definition by the German Association for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology (GMDS))

Establishing a system of digitalized data and knowledge exchange between the fields of medical research and patient care will be a lengthy process which has to overcome many obstacles. This is why the “Medical Informatics” funding scheme is tiered and modular in its design. Upon proven success during the first phases, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) will commit and allocate substantive funding over the longer term.

In an initial step, data integration centres will be set up at selected university hospi­ tals to ensure the technical and organizational conditions which are necessary for a multi-site data exchange between health care and clinical and biomedical research. Doctors will be provided with data-based support systems to improve the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. At the same time medical research will benefit from an im­ proved data and knowledge basis. The developed solutions are expected to create ad­ ded value in many sectors of the health care system and health industry. In the long term clinics, registered medical practitioners, health insurance funds, and the patients themselves will be better able to derive practical knowledge from the existing data. For the patient this means that at any point within the health care system – whether at one’s general practitioner’s, specialist’s or at the hospital – decisions can be reached together with the patient which are based on all the relevant data stored in the health care system and the medical knowledge which can be derived from it.

For now, a digitally networked health care system is still a vision of the future, but ad­ vances in medical informatics will make it possible to take big steps towards making that vision a reality.

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Care Re se arch Know ledg e

1.

Motivation

1.1 Researching diseases –

for healthy living

Good health is basic to our well-being. Stable health holds out the promise of a long, active and independ­ ent life. There is hardly anything that influences our lives as much as our personal health.

The medical achievements of the past have greatly improved our health and quality of life. Nowadays we take it for granted that we will reach old age in good health. One of the driving factors of the ad­ vances made in medicine was and remains biomed­ ical research. It helps us to better understand health and illness. This knowledge enables new and better methods to be developed which can detect and treat diseases, or even prevent them altogether.

Our health care system will face difficult tasks in the course of demographic change: in an ageing society ever more people will suffer from widespread dis­ eases such as cancer, dementia, and cardiovascular

and metabolic diseases. Our goal is to make the best possible treatment available to each and every indi­ vidual. At the same time, there is a growing pressure to cut costs in the health care system. We thus face the challenge of balancing quality medical care and economic considerations.

We need effective strategies for the prevention, diagno­ sis and treatment of diseases to cope with the challenge of demographic change. It is why research for healthy living is one of the six tasks for the future in the Federal Government’s new High-Tech Strategy.

1.2 Combining disciplines –

for individualized medicine

Researchers have set themselves an ambitious goal, and that is to develop individualized medicine which is tailored to the unique symptoms and needs of every individual. They hope to be able to make more precise diagnoses and apply more effective treat­

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1. MOTIVATION

ments on the basis of this individualized medicine. The treatment of such serious diseases as cancer is an apt case in point: Just because a certain drug helps one patient does not automatically mean it will help the next patient in the same way – even if that patient, to the best of current knowledge, is suffering from the same disease.

Health and disease are the result of a combination of complex interactions in our body. Whether we are healthy or ill depends for example on the activity of our genes or on nutrition, stress and exercise. The in­ terplay of these factors determines how very different the course which a disease can take from one person to the next. It also means that in order to be able to predict the effectiveness of a drug with some certain­ ty, we must learn about and understand as much as possible about the relevant interactions in our cells and organs.

This is a challenge which two new, interdisciplinary fields of research are taking on: systems biology and systems medicine. Systems biology seeks to gain an

understanding of the complex molecular processes in cells, organs and the organism as a whole. The aim of systems medicine is to make the knowledge gained in systems biology usable for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. The BMBF started targeting this develop­ ment early on and has promoted systems-oriented health research by setting funding priorities in the areas of genome research, systems biology and systems medicine. Care Re se arch Know ledg e

Individualized

medicine

The systems medicine approach has shown first signs of success, in particular in the treatment of a few forms of cancer. For example a new genetic test can now distinguish more precisely between different types of lung cancer. Thanks to the test treatments can be better tailored to the needs of individual patients and signifi­ cantly increase survival rates.

Yet despite the progress made, the fact remains that the drugs prescribed for other types of cancer or complex diseases such as multiple sclerosis are proving effec­ tive for only a fraction of patients. More and intensive interdisciplinary research must be done to generate medical knowledge. The road to individualized med­ icine is quite promising – but the stretch ahead is still very long.

1.3 Using the wealth of data –

for improved patient care

The research approach adopted by systems biology and systems medicine is based on the rapid pace of technological developments over the past two decades. High-throughput technologies, known as “omics” technologies, can now measure thousands of molecules such as proteins or metabolites at the same time. The procedures involved are becoming ever faster and ever more cost-effective: sequencing of the human genome takes only a few days and can some­ times be done at a cost of less than one thousand eu­ ros. Researchers estimate that the amount of genome data collected over the past decade has doubled every seven months. High-throughput technologies gener­ ate enormous amounts of data daily which can only be analyzed with supercomputers. Interdisciplinary cooperation is required to translate this data into new biological or medical knowledge. Systems medicine

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blends biology and medicine with methods applied in the fields of informatics, mathematics, physics and engineering.

At the same time the volume of digitalized data in patient care and clinical research is also growing. Digitalization is spreading quickly to the health care sector. More and more medical data – X-rays, medical reports, blood parameters – are available in digital form nowadays.

Researchers and doctors are facing new scientific, technical and organizational challenges posed by these enormous volumes of data. It is not only the volume but also the heterogeneity of the medical data which is so challenging. Widely divergent types of data must often be brought together: whereas the growth of a tumour becomes visible on an X-ray, we may only un­ derstand the cause of its growth once we are also able to analyze the DNA of its cells.

Even data which reflect the same content can be very disparate, since differences in the location and quality of data, data type and format, the “language” used and standards applied complicate the consolidation of data from the various sources. Furthermore, IT systems quite often are incompatible with each other and fun­ damental technical and non-technical questions as to whom the data belongs to and why one should share it are being discussed.

So although there is a large amount of medical data in general, it is often unavailable to the individual user for purposes other than for which the data was originally generated. In the event that the data is available, it is usually very difficult to establish meaningful links between the different parts.

We can only make the best possible use of the potential of this vast amount of medical data if we overcome these obstacles. A precondition for doing so is to im­ prove the exchange of data and knowledge across its different locations. The distinct and separate spheres of information which still exist in biomedical basic research, clinical research and patient care must be united. Biomedical research data often provides a de­ tailed snapshot of a disease, but health care data helps to better understand the development of a disease or to determine what the connections are between different illnesses in the course of a lifetime.

However, it is vitally important that compliance with the relevant data privacy standards and parameters is ensured.

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2. Funding policy strategies

The BMBF’s current funding policy is aimed at strengthen­

ing biomedical and medical informatics research, improv­ ing links between medicine and information technology, and speedy translation of scientific and technical progress into improved patient care.

2.1 Uniting medicine and information

technology

What will health care be like in the future? One trend has already emerged very clearly – digitalization – and it is also affecting medicine. Computer-assisted evaluation of large data sets, applied for instance in the sequencing of our DNA or in imaging techniques, will become more and more a part of medical check­ ups. Telemedical applications will help to ensure good medical care in rural areas too. Health apps for smartphones are fascinating a growing community of people who want to track their sport activities and lifestyle.

Innovative IT solutions are the key to deriving new knowledge from the burgeoning treasure trove of information in medicine and to making more accurate diagnoses and improving treatment.

The development of innovative information and communication technologies has been a BMBF fund­ ing priority for a long time. The “ICT 2020” funding programme is currently providing support for research on handling big data in Germany. The BMBF has been funding two big data competence centres in Berlin and Dresden since 2014. These centres are tackling challenges in the acquisition, handling and utilization of large amounts of data and are expected to deliver solutions to the medical field.

By international standards, however, Germany is not a leader in practical applications of modern information technology in the health sector. Other countries such as the US, Denmark and the Netherlands are leaders in the introduction of telemedical services, electronic exchange of data among doctors, or the availability of electronic health records.

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This is why Germany’s Federal Government laid the groundwork for the development of telematics infra­ structure in the health care sector by drafting a bill on e-health (E-Health Act) in 2015. Following the intro­ duction of the electronic health card, legal regulations will now promote the speedy introduction of valuable applications for the health card. Telematics infrastruc­ ture can be further developed in the future to enable secure and quick sharing of data between the medical care sector and research.

The “Medical Informatics” funding scheme will further advance the use of innovative IT solutions. In a first step, the suitable technical and non-technical condi­ tions for data exchange and the multi-site synergetic use of data from research and health care will be estab­ lished at university hospitals.

2.2 Strengthening bioinformatics and

medical informatics research

Together with the volume of medical data, the de­ mand for new support systems in research and health care will also increase. Automated systems will be needed to aggregate and analyze the various different data and to derive new knowledge for the diagnosis and treatment of disease. It is the task of medical informatics to develop these systems. Medical in­ formatics describes, analyzes, models and simulates medical processes with the aim of generating new knowledge, optimizing health care and research activities, and supporting the various players in the health care delivery system.

The innovative strength, competitiveness and con­ nectivity of our research and health care system will depend more and more on efficiency in medical informatics. We will therefore strengthen research in medical informatics and training for young scientists. The BMBF can build on past success in the support of bioinformatics and medical informatics research: the ministry has supported systems biology research since 2004 which includes the development of mathe­ matical and bioinformatics tools for data analysis. This repertoire of methods forms the basis for the analysis of large sets of biological and medical data.

The German Network for Bioinformatics Infrastruc­ ture was established in early 2015. The expertise and services which it provides will benefit medical research in particular. The BMBF’s “Integrative data semantics in systems medicine” funding priority places special emphasis on medical informatics by funding projects under the measure which aim to make available the wealth of medical knowledge which exists in the form of unstructured data (e.g. in medical records). Drawing on the progress made so far, the BMBF will further strengthen bioinformatics and medical informatics research.

2.3 Establishing better, data-based

patient care

The aim of medical informatics is to assist and improve decision-making and other processes in medicine. This requires not only the development but also the trialling and implementation of medical informatics tools. Comprehensive strategies for their use in clinical practice are needed, and both doctors and researchers from various disciplines must work in close cooperation as these strategies are implement­ ed. Suitable IT infrastructures must be created and new work processes adopted. The aim is to make use of data from research and patient care in an optimal way for the sake of improving the treatment of illness and disease. In other words, when the data is used in a meaningful way, the right person in patient care will have the right information at the right time.

The “Medical Informatics” funding scheme will play a role in utilizing the opportunities in medical infor­ matics to establish an improved, data-based system of patient care. Not only will innovative IT solutions be developed, they will also be applied to the direct benefit of patients.

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3.

“Medical Informatics” funding scheme

The Federal Government’s Digital Agenda aims to make use of digitalization’s innovative potential in medicine too. The BMBF is making medical informatics a priority topic. The funding scheme is part of the Health Research Framework Programme of the Federal Government and specifically addresses the fields of action “Focussed research into major diseases” and “Individualized medicine”.

Introducing digitalized exchange of data in the health care sector will be a lengthy process which will have many obstacles to overcome. This is why the funding scheme for medical informatics adopts a tiered ap­ proach and is modular in design. If the first phases are successful, the BMBF will commit substantial funding over the longer term.

3.1 Funding scheme aims

The aim of the funding scheme is to improve research opportunities and patient care with IT solutions. These solutions will enable the exchange and use of clinical and biomedical research and patient care data across institutions and sites.

Initial focus will be directed on university hospitals because this is where the closest links between patient care and clinical research exist. Further partners may include research institutes, higher education institu­ tions, private clinics, and businesses in the IT, pharma­ ceutical, biotechnology or medical technology sectors. Application of the solutions beyond university hospi­ tals must be factored in from the very beginning. The innovative potential of start-ups and SMEs should be tapped for new technical developments.

The innovative IT solutions will help researchers and doctors to exploit the potential of the burgeoning

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volume of medical data. Data from research and health care are to be translated into new knowledge for use at the patient’s bedside. Health care data will also be integrated into the research process. By the same token, current know-how and verifiable research outcome will become available more quickly in everyday clinical practice. The long-term goal is to enable every patient to receive treatment that is as custom tailored to their unique clinical symptoms as possible.

Interoperable IT systems are absolutely essential for the electronic data exchange between different sites of research and patient care. Existing technologies and established standards should be applied to the extent possible. Researchers and doctors must also be encouraged to share data for the benefit of society at large. Because of the sensitive nature of the medical data concerned, multi-site processes to guarantee data privacy and security must be agreed and imple­ mented.

The ever greater amounts of data which are being generated cannot be analyzed in any meaningful way without specialized data scientists who are both

skilled in applying state-of-the-art tools in infor­ matics and familiar with medical terminology. This is why the “Medical Informatics” funding scheme also envisages increased training of junior researchers in data sciences. The higher education institutions and university medical centres which receive funding are expected to also engage in their own research, teach­ ing and further training activities to ensure that use of the new IT tools becomes regular practice. All in all, medical informatics in Germany will develop into a progressive field.

Aims of the funding scheme

●Improve research opportunities and patient care through innovative IT solutions (initially at university hospitals)

●Intensify the exchange and sharing of data between research community and health care delivery system

●Position medical informatics as a progressive field in research, teaching and continuing education

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3. “MEDICAL INFORMATICS” FUNDING SCHEME

3.2 Structure of the funding scheme

The guiding principle of the funding scheme is the de­ velopment and implementation of IT solutions which can improve research possibilities and patient care in university hospitals. In an initial step, implementa­ tion of technical and organizational solutions will be funded at a few select locations. A subsequent transfer to further partners will be prepared through the early involvement of these partners. All of Germany’s uni­ versity hospitals will benefit in the long term. As a key element of the funding scheme, data inte­

gration centres are to be set up and interlinked by the

university hospitals and all the other partners which want to input research or health care data. The data integration centres are responsible for:

● Creating access to local data in the organization

● Quality management of input data

● Compliance with data protection provisions

● Guaranteeing data security

● User and rights administration

● User support and training

● Creation of interfaces for data exchange with exter nal partners and data collections

­

The research and health care data will not as a rule be stored and held at the data integration centre itself but instead at the local sites where the data is gener­ ated. The data integration centre must be an organi­ zational unit whose competences are clearly defined. High-ranking persons should be part of its manage­ ment and the centre should be equipped with all the necessary human and infrastructural resources. The data integration centres should work in close collabo­ ration with the scientific and medical personnel who have an interest in using and analyzing the data which is generated.

Another key element of the funding scheme is the development of IT solutions for specific applica­

tions (use cases), which will be aided by the multi-site

exchange of research and patient care data. Examples of use cases include: IT-based support in the diagnosis and choice of treatment of rare diseases, recruitment of patients for clinical trials, personalized cancer treat­ ment, or some other function in research and patient care practice. At the end of the first funding phase these specific use cases should demonstrate the added value of data exchange and the developed IT solutions for researchers, doctors and patients. Successful solutions can then be transferred to further university hospitals and partners in the subsequent second funding phase.

Medical Informatics Funding Scheme

2016–2017 2017–2021 2022–2025

Audit Audit

Conceptual phase networking phase Development and Consolidation and further development phase Ergänzende Fördermodule Supplementary funding modules

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Many critical issues in this context must be addressed before work can start on the development of the data integration centres and IT solutions. A nine-month

conceptual phase will focus on these issues. The most

convincing plans will be implemented in a four-year

development and networking phase (Phase I). If

the development and networking phase delivers the envisaged results, the solutions which proved suc­ cessful can be applied on a broader scale and at other locations during a subsequent consolidation and

further development phase (Phase II). Parallel to this, additional funding modules are planned, for which

separate announcements of funding regulations may be published as necessary. A national steering com­ mittee will provide guidance during the implementa­ tion of the funding scheme (see 3.7 below).

The modular, tiered structure of this funding scheme allows for flexibility to adapt to the achieved results, technical developments and the requirements which arise in the ensuing years which cannot be predicted with certainty from the present perspective.

3.3 Conceptual phase

Consortia which intend to share and exchange data

from biomedical research and patient care will receive funding during a nine-month conceptual phase. Each consortium must involve the participation of at least two university medical centres to avoid the generation of stand-alone solutions. Possible further partners in the consortia may include higher education institutions, research institutions, private clinics, or other health care providers and industry. Consortia are encouraged to include start-ups and small and medium-sized enter­ prises (SMEs).

During the conceptual phase, the consortia are expect­ ed to draft strategic plans for data sharing and data

exchange within and beyond the consortia. They must

determine the terms and conditions of data exchange, identify the type and volume of data to be exchanged, and develop processes for compliance with data pro­ tection provisions. The consortia are expected to draft

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3. “MEDICAL INFORMATICS” FUNDING SCHEME 13

plans for quality management and the quality assurance of new and existing data. The interoperability with existing data collections and IT solutions both in Ger­ many and abroad must be guaranteed. At the end of the conceptual phase, the consortia must declare how they plan to implement the rules which they established to govern the use of data and data exchange within and across the consortia.

The consortia will develop one or several concrete use

cases during the conceptual phase. Verifiable milestones

must be established which are able to demonstrate the functional performance and usefulness of the IT solu­ tions in the development and networking phase which may follow.

Each participating institution which wants to make research and patient care data available on a large scale must develop a strategic plan for a data integration

centre. This plan should include a provisional plan for

the continued operation of the data integration centre beyond the four-year development funding period. A roll-out plan for the later expansion of the emerging IT solutions to further use cases and other institutions must be developed as early as in the conceptual phase. The application of solutions beyond university hospi­ tals should be factored in from the beginning.

The consortia are also expected to develop future-ori­ ented strategies for medical informatics at the partici­ pating higher education institutions. Among others this might include the establishment of new professorships for medical informatics and support groups of junior researchers, as well as own activities in research, training and continuing training.

3.4 Phase I: Development and

networking

Funding during the four-year development and net­ working phase will be concentrated on a few selected consortia. Funding worth a total of about €100 million will be allocated during this phase.

Every funded university hospital will build up a data

integration centre during the development and net­

working phase. If, in addition to the university hospitals,

other partners in the consortia input large amounts of data (e.g. research institutions, private clinics), each of these partners must also establish its own data integra­ tion centre.

Beside structural establishment of data integration centres, IT solutions for one or more clearly defined

use cases will be developed, implemented and tested.

An external audit conducted six months before the end of the development and networking funding phase will determine whether the consortia have 1) successfully created measurable added value for research or patient care through the organizational and technical solutions which they developed, and 2) made data exchange across the consortia possible.

The consortia are expected to recruit further univer­ sity hospitals as network partners for the purpose of preparing the dissemination of successful solutions later on. By the end of the first year of the development and networking phase, each funded consortium must ensure that at least three further university hospitals which do not already belong to one of the funded consortia have become involved as network partners.

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These university hospitals should demonstrate an interest in adopting the consortium’s IT solutions in the subsequent consolidation and further development phase. In preparation of the adoption, the network partners should be involved early on in the design of the IT solutions without having to establish their own data integration centre.

The consortia are expected to implement their strat­ egies to strengthen medical informatics. The BMBF is offering funding for two junior research groups to every participating higher education institution as a foundation for and an incentive to establish new professorships in medical informatics. The junior re­ search groups, designed to collaborate for five years, are eligible to receive funding as soon as the vacancy for the professorship has been filled and a suitable junior research group leader has been named.

Each consortium must have an adequate management

structure in place. It is recommended that the manage­

ment comprises at least one internal steering body and an advisory body whose membership includes external individuals which, among others, is responsible for ensuring an international profile. Representatives of the network partners should also be included in the consortium’s management structures.

3.5 Phase II: Consolidation and

further development

If the set objectives of the development and network­ ing phase are achieved, a second funding phase to build on its success may follow. Successfully demon­ strated solutions will be transferred to further univer­ sity hospitals and perhaps to other interested clinics or research institutions. To ensure that researchers, doctors, and ultimately patients benefit from the advances to the greatest extent possible, further players (e.g. in-patient care or private clinics) should be included in the data exchange. The BMBF will also provide substantial funding to successful consortia for this phase.

However, federal funding must only be considered as start-up funding. The consortium partners are expect­ ed to contribute matched funding for the continued operation of the data integration centres. This is why the conceptual phase must already reflect some consid­ eration of the issue of continued operation, for which plans must be firmed up in due course and be based on financial commitments.

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3. “MEDICAL INFORMATICS” FUNDING SCHEME 15

3.6 Supplementary funding modules

Further funding modules can be introduced in stages

as early as the development phase. The BMBF will con­ sult with the national steering committee on medical informatics to tailor the modules to meet the needs of their target groups.

One priority goal of the funding scheme is the avoid­ ance of stand-alone solutions. Therefore, funding for

networking projects between the consortia including

new partners is planned. International cooperation

projects may also be considered to ensure compatibil­

ity at international level. Additional training measures for junior researchers, perhaps through funding for summer schools are another target of possible funding modules.

As soon as data exchange is considered functional, the

development of further IT solutions can move ahead

to improve research opportunities and patient care in other use cases. The innovative potential in industry can also be utilized in this context.

Supporting scientific research will track technological developments both in Germany and abroad. In principle, the IT technologies which are available today are able to realize the envisaged exchange of research and health care data. Developments should therefore be based on existing technologies. The BMBF will nevertheless be

following technological developments closely. Societal, social and ethical issues which may arise can be ad­ dressed under the BMBF’s funding priority “Ethical, legal and social aspects of modern life sciences (ELSA)”.

3.7 National steering committee

Coordination processes which reach beyond the scope of the management structures of the individual con­ sortia will be needed to prevent stand-alone solutions. A national steering committee will be established for this purpose.

The national steering committee’s work will be support­ ed by a managing office. The BMBF is therefore funding an accompanying project in parallel to the conceptual phase to support the steering committee during this time. The main aim of the accompanying project is to assist in the necessary cross-consortia coordination of e.g. uniform data standards, IT interfaces and data pro­ tection strategies. Working groups will be set up which meet at regular intervals throughout the conceptual phase. The working groups will be supplied with infor­ mation relevant for their work, for example concerning

● data collections in Germany and abroad for which interfaces and interoperability must be created,

● existing standards and norms, and

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Looking Ahead

Entirely new possibilities will open up if the BMBF’s funding is instrumental to the successful establishment of research and health care data exchange among uni­ versity hospitals. The solutions which are developed are expected to deliver added value in many sectors of the health care system.

New forms of data and knowledge exchange between biomedical and clinical research would reduce the complexity of the innovation processes for coope­ rating biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical engineering companies: the development of drugs and medical devices could become more focused and more efficient as new approaches in treatment and diagnostics become more readily available.

In the long term, the different players in the health care system – clinics, registered medical practitioners, health insurance funds, and patients themselves – will be able to derive from existing data the practi­ cal knowledge which they need for their work and which meets their needs. These players can, in turn, add to the stock of medical information with their experience and the data which they generate. For the patient, this means that at any point within the health care system – whether at the family doctor’s, specialist’s or hospital – decisions are taken jointly, based on all the relevant data stored in the health care system and the medical knowledge which can be derived from it.

For now, the digitally networked health care system illustrated here is still a vision. But advances in medi­ cal informatics enable big steps towards making that vision a reality.

At the campaign day to think health anew on 22 August 2015 (Gesundheit neu denken), a gathering of 60 citizens discussed the impact which current trends like digitali­ zation will have on how we manage health and illness in 2030. We aim to continue this discussion in the “Digita­ lization and Health” expert forum which, as a working group of the High-Tech Forum, will oversee the further development of the Federal Government’s High-Tech Strategy. The expert forum will shape visions of the future of what digitalization could mean for prevention, diagnosis, treatment and aftercare in medicine. These visions of the future will be discussed among a broader public to gain an idea of stakeholder hopes and fears early on. In so doing, we can sharpen our focus on the future before we continue to shape it.

Further information is available at:

www.gesundheitsforschung-bmbf.de/de/ medizininformatik.php

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17 Published by

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Division Development of Methods and Structures in the Life Sciences

11055 Berlin Orders In writing to

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