EHTEL’s annual Symposium took place at the Radical Health Festival Helsinki on 21 January 2026. Its all-day focus was on the European Health Data Space and various key challenges posed for implementers by the space and its regulation.
A lively plenary – on getting people and data ready for the European Health Data Space – prefaced the Symposium. Led by Petra Wilson (Health Connect Partners), it featured lively inputs from Catherine Chronaki (HL7 Europe), Joan Guanyabens (TIC Salut Social), and Licinio Kustra-Mano (SNOMED International). Patient advocate, Anders Olauson (Agrenska Foundation) offered strong points in response on patient views e.g., of artificial intelligence (AI).
Discussions throughout the day’s four session of the EHTEL Symposium concentrated on various digital health topics key for health and care workforces. They included blind spots and pain points, the role of artificial intelligence (AI), and progress being made on a Yellow Button that will help patients get easy and user-friendly access to their own patient data. The content of three of the sessions was complemented by working papers developed over the past six months by EHTEL EHDS implementers’ task force members. Attendance in the room at any one point in time ranged from 40 to 70 persons.
On 19 January 2026, the Symposium was prefaced by an EHTEL members’ matchmaking event. It featured coverage of current useful and interesting projects, like the BeWell project. Consortium member, Diane Whitehouse (EHTEL) described how the BeWell project can help digital health implementers:
- Get your message onto the policy-makers’ table.
- Use solid resources, like good practices and training programmes, to act as sources of inspiration or start up good working relationships.
She highlighted the opportunity to join the Pact for Skills Health and Care Ecosystems Partnership to:
- Network on digital health literacy and capacity-building.
Last but not least, to hear the latest developments and what’s next, she encouraged EHTEL members to attend the 7 May 2026 BeWell final conference.
