Request for expert opinion:

Quality of health care, and in particular a key dimension – patient safety – has been addressed at EU level by various initiatives, including quality and safety of blood, tissues and organs, quality, safety and efficacy of medicines, medical devices, cancer screening, health professionals and patients' rights in cross-border healthcare.

The Commission has announced the following publications in the short term:

• a Eurobarometer survey on patient safety and quality of care
• a report on public consultation on EU action on quality of care and patient safety
• a second report on patient safety report

In addition, the Commission has invited the Expert Panel on Effective ways of Investing in Health for an Opinion on a possible future EU agenda on quality of health care with a special emphasis on patient safety.

The opinion of the Panel should take into account previous and ongoing EU activities on patient safety and quality of care. In particular, the Panel is requested:

• to consider the core dimensions of quality of health care, including patient safety in the EU
• to define within this:

- dimensions that should be given priority at EU level in order to improve quality of health care;
- actions that could be taken at EU level to address the selected dimensions.

• to demonstrate what would be the added value of proposed EU actions.
• to specify what information is needed to assess quality and safety of health care in the EU.

Moreover, the Panel is requested to reflect on how the effectiveness of EU policy in the area quality and safety of health care could be evaluated.

The opinion of the Panel should be finalised by May 2014.

For more information: mandate patientsafety qualitycare en