Demonstration and discussion of the 1.4 test release

The access to the 4th test release was given to the project partners one week prior to the meeting.

The members of the RIVM team gave an on-line demonstration of the website, focusing on new and revised features:

• A sitemap, showing to the visitor the filled parts of the site and giving an outline of the website structure
• An additional tab “Literature and data sources” in the top menu. It offers a quick overview of the literature and data sources used throughout the system
• Thorough revision of old EUphacts in an advanced stage (3 EUphacts completely finalized)
• Five new ECHI indicators implemented, not yet peer-reviewed
• Regional maps (on infant mortality and obesity) made in cooperation with the ISARE project
• An improved search function
• Another background colour for the EUphoci to distinguish them clearly from the EUphacts and indicators.
• EUphoci have been redefined: the EUphoci ‘Obesity’ and ‘Smoking’ have been removed from the website since they resembled too much the corresponding EUphacts. The EUphocus ‘Mental Health’ is the only EUphocus now and serves as the example of the principle of a EUphocus as a cross-cutting issue. Future EUphoci might be ‘Socio-economic health differences’ (in cooperation with the Eurothine project) and ‘Rare diseases’. EUphoci will always include already existing EUphacts and Indicators.

EUPHIX Database, revised map tool

Database

The database of EUPHIX was presented. The database stores data along with (descriptive) metadata. The most important advantages of the system are the possibility to use (and store) a workflow and the possibility of version control.

In Austria a big database has been built, containing all the raw data behind the indicators. The EU is preparing a strategy document on health information. From the Austrian partner’s point of view, EUPHIX should play a key role in this with her database. However, the EUPHIX database is not equipped and not intended to serve as a general database underlying all indicator calculations, but rather for supporting presentations in EUPHIX.

Map tool

Also a new map tool was presented, which will be used by EUPHIX. The tool is based on importing shape files (Geo classes) which can be easily uploaded and managed. The shape files can be defined at different NUTS levels. An editor can easily design the map. The map tool provides a zoom option and is transferable.

Update on the status of the Public Health Portal and options for linking EUPHIX to the Portal

The EU Public Health Portal (HP), its current activities and progress were presented.

Of relevance for EUPHIX:

• EUPHIX was demonstrated in the HP editorial board meeting of November 2006. This platform can be used for further developing ideas on how to incorporate EUPHIX into the Portal or prioritise areas to be included in EUPHIX.
• At this moment a project makes an inventory of the possible links in the HP between research information (DG Research) and health-related EU-projects (DG SANCO). The health information sector is the next one, which also implies linkage with EUPHIX.
• There is an external evaluation on the HP going on. A summary of the final report will be available at the HP and member states representatives will get a letter report.
• Looking at visitor statistics, the portal is primarily visited by health professionals, ministries and health organisations. In future this would also have to be citizens (the intended primary goal group).

Meeting EUPHIX- DG SANCO in January 2007

Last January, there was a meeting between EUPHIX and DG SANCO. The most important issues were:

• DG SANCO expressed the wish to have more visibility of EUPHIX, by linking the HP to the EUPHIX test site soon.
• DG SANCO wanted to avoid disappointment of people traveling through a largely empty site. However, the EUPHIX project has promised to build a prototype, not a fully filled website
• Agreements during the meeting included: both parties will work on concrete proposals for linkage and EUPHIX will try as much ‘filling’ as possible during the last year

Linkage HP – EUPHIX website

HP’s policy is to link directly to information, i.e. using deep links to the content (and not to show EUPHIX as a project). From four proposals made by DG SANCO to link the EUPHIX website to the Health Portal one was selected. This would imply to place, at the relevant HP pages, a separate heading ‘EUPHIX health information’ (wording later to decide) with the listed deep links.

Displaying the EUPHIX website after deep linking

There were two options discussed about displaying the EUPHIX website when visitors arrive there by deep links:

1. the actual test release, with many empty fields but showing the intended scope;[sitemap and shading show what is filled, proper statements on development status can be made]
2. a separately made ‘light’ version which only shows the implemented issues.[some extra maintenance work, no view on empty boxes but also no view on intended scope]

Most participants were in favour of option 1, including clear warnings/explanations about the empty parts. Under these conditions, having empty parts were not seen by most as a major problem.

According to DG SANCO implementation can be done within the next few months. It is not necessary to wait for a new release of the HP.

Sustaining EUPHIX

The needs for sustainable hosting of EUPHIX were explained

Hosting EUPHIX would need a permanent and dedicated team of minimally some 3-4 fulltime professionals (public health expertise, data specialists, IT specialists), located in a public health professional environment. This capacity is necessary for maintaining the external network, expanding and updating reviewed content. Without continuity, the effort invested into EUPHIX would soon be lost.

Extension of the contract period

Extension of present contract period to 30 June 2008 has been asked and will probably be accepted. The EUPHIX RIVM team at the moment will not apply for a follow-up project. However, RIVM is open for other ways of future co-operation, i.e. hosting the system under other types of agreements. Other possible ways to finance a continued system can be investigated. The crucial question of the ownership of the system in the long run was mentioned.

The partners agreed to prepare a ‘lobbying paper’

The partners agreed to prepare a paper which, on behalf of the entire EUPHIX team, should explain this issue and serve as a support for getting parties interested in a continued existence of EUPHIX.

Data selection and quality

Data selection

A document about data selection and quality was discussed. Starting points on data selection and quality are:

• Data should be ‘reliable’ (trends and differences shown are real) and ‘valid’ (they show what they intend to show)
• EUPHIX wants to use data from existing international compilations (Eurostat, WHO-HFA, OECD; specialized networks; authoritative reviews; PHP projects), not directly from national sources.
• There may be different ‘valid’ definitions of indicators, connected with different data sources

In general:

• EUPHIX quite often has used specialized sources (like EMCDDA).
• Sometimes the choice of data is arbitrary.
• Most importantly, the data selection is guided by the story to be told, even with different sources.

Comments by partners on data selection:

• The partners agreed on the document on data selection.
• Another issue concerned the reviewing of Indicators as presented in EUPHIX. EUphacts have been or are in the process of being reviewed, for indicators this is not yet the case. The partners agreed to start this reviewing process by a feedback round among themselves.

Cooperation with other PHP projects

There is already cooperation (proposed) with other PHP projects (e.g. ISARE, SUPPORT, EUGLOREH, EUCID, POMONA). In future there could be a possible cooperation with the URHIS project on indicators in big cities.

Work for the last year of EUPHIX

Plans for the final year:

• The website is technically almost final: some improvements are still needed in graph and map tools
• Increase the production of new content, in all three categories
• Expand the expert network, implement working procedures; consult target group panel
• Establish linkage with the EU Health Portal
• Establish collaboration with other PHP activities/projects
• Prepare for handover of the system: appropriate manuals to be written, exploring financing and hosting

For the new EUphacts, ECHI indicators and EUphoci, this implies:

• New Indicators: work with ECHIM
• New EUphacts:
• Ischaemic heart disease; stroke; breast cancer;
• depression, suicide, social support, within EUphocus Mental Health
• Using Dutch Kompas content more as starting point for building EUphacts

• New EUphoci: to host results from other projects

Pictures