2 / 2021 // LEOPOLDINA / NEWS 5
How can this be achieved ? Eils : Instead of putting institutions like hospitals , health insurance providers and other healthcare industry stakeholders at the centre of decisions concerning how health data is used , I believe it is crucial to place each and every citizen at the forefront . This would involve giving every individual digital access to their personal health data so that they can decide who should be given permission to access which data for which secondary purposes . Achieving this turnaround in how we control access to health data would mark an important step forward .
What are the key components of a reliable system for sharing data internationally ? Eils : Internationally recognised terminology is needed to describe disease patterns and laboratory findings in a uniform way . For instance , it is crucial that we can unambiguously state which disease a patient is suffering from or how a patient ’ s blood glucose level was measured . There are already successful examples of systems used to standardise terminology , such as the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems ( ICD ) and the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine ( SNOMED ). Given the diverse nature of healthcare IT systems , we also need to agree on standards for describing data so as to enable interoperability as well as find a standardised , trustworthy way of sharing data in a health data space .
Are you hoping that the G7 Summit will help to drive this forward ? Eils : One of the recommendations in our statement calls for the establishment of an international commission , which could draw on the example of the COVID-19 pandemic to put forward a proposal detailing which data and which forms of data should be collated internationally for which purposes as well as how this should be done . It would be an important step in the right direction if the G7 countries could set the wheels in motion for this .
Roland Eils ML
The geneticist and bioinformatics and medical informatics specialist uses artificial intelligence and big data analytics in connection with data from genome research to research disease-related processes . He has been the Founding Director of the BIH Digital Health Center at the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité since 2018 .
Foto : David Ausserhofer | BIH
In Germany , the development of digital health data is still not properly underway . How can the Leopoldina speed up this process ? Eils : In Germany , the attitude towards data protection is generally one of only seeing the downsides . As a result , the opportunities created by digital , interoperable and shared health data are not even being taken advantage of to a rudimentary extent . The Leopoldina could help improve the situation considerably by drawing up safeguards and guidelines for the trustworthy and safe use of health data . This would require discussions to take place across a wide range of disciplines . I can ’ t imagine any organisation better placed than the Leopoldina to lead these discussions .
■ THE INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED BY BENJAMIN HAERDLE
G7 statement „ Data for international health emergencies “
G7 science academies present statements
Discussing biodiversity , climate change , and health data
In the run-up to the G7 Summit in
Carbis Bay / UK from 11 to 13 June , the national academies of sciences in Germany , France , Italy , Japan , Canada , the USA and the UK have prepared a set of science-based recommendations on three topics for the leaders of the G7 countries .
The academies have proposed a decarbonisation road map for achieving the target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the middle of the 21st century . Their proposal outlines the need to use all available low-emission and emission-free technologies , to invest more in research and development , and to create financial incentives for significantly reducing emissions . They also recommend that the G7 countries support middle and low-income countries to become climate neutral .
In the face of the global biodiversity crisis , the G7 academies are also calling for steps to be taken to halt and reverse the ongoing dramatic rate of species loss as quickly as possible . In their statement , they recommend that the many values of biodiversity be taken into account during political decision-making and advocate crosssector solutions for protecting species . The academies also suggest developing an international monitoring network to keep track of progress both nationally and internationally .
The third statement recommends the development of a reliable system for the global sharing and use of health data , the development of secure and privacy-preserving technologies and infrastructures , and the promotion of skills in handling sensitive data ( see the adjacent interview with Roland Eils ML ).
■ CHW
G7 statements 2021