Health Outcomes Observatory launches pan-European initiative to improve evidence-based health care

The pan-European Health Outcomes Observatory will leverage patient-reported outcomes to enhance health care and research across Europe.

The Health Outcomes Observatory (H2O) has launched its pan-European Health Outcomes Observatory, marking a significant milestone in patient empowerment and health research across Europe. Based in Denmark, this initiative aims to transform health care by leveraging patient-reported outcomes and creating a unified data infrastructure to inform research and policy decisions.

The pan-European Health Outcomes Observatory aims to link data from national health outcomes observatories across Europe, including those in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain. The organization has two primary goals. The first is to standardize patient outcomes captured in digital tools, creating a common language for patients and physicians to use in their communication. The second goal is to ensure the health data resulting from this communication is accessible for research purposes. The pan-European Health Outcomes Observatory serves as a precursor to the European Health Data Space (EHDS), demonstrating how seamless cross-country data access can be achieved within Europe.

Standardizing these outcomes also empowers patients by giving them a stronger voice in their care, improving the quality of healthcare interactions and resource allocation. Valentina Strammiello, Director of Strategic Initiatives at the European Patient Forum (EPF), emphasized the importance of patient empowerment, stating,

“Patient empowerment is at the heart of the H2O mission. This can be achieved through a multistakeholder approach that ensures every voice is heard. By collaborating across sectors and borders, we can now create a healthcare environment built on trust and transparency, ultimately giving patients greater control over their health outcomes.”

The H2O project is a public-private partnership funded by the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) and EFPIA members. Launched on October 1, 2020, it will run through September 2025. The project includes 23 partners, such as Medizinische Universität Wien (coordinator), Takeda Pharmaceuticals International AG (project leader), and several leading universities, healthcare organizations, and pharmaceutical companies across Europe.

Meni Styliadou, H2O Co-Lead and Vice-President for Data and Partnerships at Takeda, highlighted the milestone’s significance, stating,

 “This is a major milestone for the H2O project and patient-driven health care across Europe. By enabling researchers and policymakers to draw from deeper and broader pools of patient-reported health data, the pan-European Health Outcomes Observatory will enable more evidence-based science and health policies.”

And Professor Tanja Stamm, H2O Co-Lead and Head of the Institute for Outcomes Research at the Medical University of Vienna’s Center for Medical Data Science, emphasized the importance of creating a common language, stating that it, “will better enable the outcomes research environment in Europe to thrive and be more competitive.”