Attendance and focus

Attendance

Hagit Eliyahu (RIVM), Maartje Harbers (RIVM), Finn Kamper-Jørgensen (Dk-NIPH), Csilla Kaposvari (Hu-EgeszsegMonitor), Hans Kerschbaum (A-GÖG/ÖBIG), Pieter Kramers (RIVM), Monique Kuunders (RIVM), Bernard Ledésert (F-FNORS), Marieke van Middelaar (RIVM), Rutger Nugteren (RIVM), Hans van Oers (RIVM), Roel Schreurs (RIVM), Anna Seatter (RIVM), Bjorn Heine Strand (N-FHI), Eveline van der Wilk (RIVM).

This meeting had the following main issues on the agenda

• June release, new content and features
• Documentation and project reporting
• User panel evaluations and visitor numbers
• EUPHIX Expert Network: status quo and progress
• Developments at DG SANCO regarding public health information systems
• Future opportunities

June release, new content and features

Instant Atlas and interactive figures

EUPHIX has introduced a new feature: Instant Atlas. It provides interactive maps and graphs. Currently the feature is available for Life expectancy, Healthy life expectancy and Breast cancer.

Beside the interactive maps, there are interactive figures which already existed. Within this interactive figure, people have the option to export the data to an Excel file (this is not possible yet for Instant Atlas).

EUphoci

In the June release, four new EUphoci have been added. These are Children’s health and the Environment (based on ENHIS data), Diabetes prevention and care (based on EUCID data), Health inequalities, and Food, Nutrition, Physical activity and Cancer (based on the WCRF report). The EUphocus is developed as a cross-cutting health topic that links a number of different EUphacts. Now it is often used as a platform for other projects to present their results.

Several options were discussed for improved readability and printing of a complete EUphact or EUphocus.

Literature list

Finally the literature list at the bottom of each EUphact is demonstrated. In this list people can find all the references which have been used for the relevant EUphact. As this list can be quite long, there were several suggestions on how to improve this:

• Put main references at the top of the list;
• Add the main references to the document ‘Relevant databases, organizations and projects’;
• Display the list in year of publishing instead of alphabetical order.

Documentation and project reporting

Final report

A final report needs to be written to make the system transferable. The report will contain the following items:

• Executive Summary (following format SANCO; this includes some process information)
• Objectives and background
• References to the Work Plan (annex)
• Approach and methods
• Contents of the system and the working process for generating content.
• Technical structure
• Network building and communication with external contributors
• Communication and dissemination of the system

• Building the website: steps towards the present application
• Status of the deliverables by June 30, 2008
• The websites EUPHIX.org and EUPHIX.info, the connection with the Portal
• The technical realization
• The EUPHIX expert network and other connections
• Perspectives for the future
• Documentation of work processes
• The EUPHIX publishing protocols (short description, referring to annex)
• The technical application (short description, referring to annexes)

User panel evaluations and visitor numbers

User panel evaluations

So far seven evaluations have been received. Generally it can be said that the grades are very positive. The evaluators’ expectations are met. The interactive tool was accepted as very useful, as well as the presentations on policies. The following actions have been done according to their suggestions;

• New homepage;
• Downloadable information sheets;
• Newsletter;
• Downloadable ‘how to use EUPHIX’ presentation.

Remaining task is to update the older topics. This is the priority for the coming half year. Furthermore the project team needs to improve the visibility and user-friendliness of the website, make it possible to open an entire EUphact in once and to seek feedback from external parties on how to improve the interactive tool.

The possibility to include a short survey on the EUPHIX website will be explored.

Visitor numbers

Especially in March and April the EUPHIX team has requested several organizations to place a link to EUPHIX on their website. In these months the number of visitors per day rose considerably.

To promote EUPHIX the project team will write an article for the Scandinavian Journal of Public Health.

EUPHIX Expert Network: status quo and progress

Two functions

The Expert Network has two functions; they need to provide the expertise and fill the site, and have to find commitment among the target audience and users. People who are involved in this network are project partners, external authors and reviewers, EU PHP projects, specialized EU agencies, user panel, DG SANCO and the RIVM editorial team. The Expert Network so far consists of 16 members; 10 authors, 4 reviewers and 6 representatives. The Expert Network is separate from the EUPHIX consortium, which is responsible for editing, implementation and maintenance.

Developments at DG SANCO regarding public health information systems

Indicator development

The presentation started by highlighting the legal basis connected to indicator development in the EU public health policy. Elements of this include the new health strategy ‘Together for health’, the new Health Programme 2008-2013 and its strand on ‘Health Information and Generation of Knowledge’, and the forthcoming Eurostat regulation on data collection. The development of the ECHI indicators is an explicit part in the Strategy. Within the Health Programme, the ‘development of a sustainable health monitoring system with mechanisms for the collection of comparable data and information’, is a major component.

Development of population surveys and health reports

Other elements relevant to EUPHIX are the development of several population surveys and health reports. EHIS is a general survey on health, health determinants and use of health care and preventive services; surveys in children, on mental health and on food consumption. Also the SANCO presentation mentions the production and planning of several health reports. It does not mention the option of electronic reporting by a EUPHIX-like system, next to the production of printed books.

Future opportunities

Joint Action

Finland (KTL) is asked to draw up a proposal for a Joint Action on EC health indicators. Part of this Joint Action is to develop a web based system for electronic and interactive reporting of data related to the ECHI shortlist. EUPHIX is proposed as a system for this. The Dutch ministry of health will co-finance the Joint Action. This proposal only includes the data-reporting part of EUPHIX.

IN-EUPHIX

To increase the written content of EUPHIX, the project team has sent a proposal for IN-EUPHIX. IN-EUPHIX stands for ‘Intelligence Network for EUPHIX’. So far IN-EUPHIX has 11 associated partners and 12 collaborating partners (including RIVM). IN-EUPHIX is submitted as a normal project. The difference with a Joint Action is the funding mechanism. For a complete system we would need both proposals.

Other possibilities

Additional possibility to expand and strengthen EUPHIX is to use EUPHIX as a forum for European Health projects. EUPHIX can serve as a medium for the outcome of results of other projects. Finally it is also important to increase and improve the content of EUPHIX and public relation efforts.