On 15 August, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the Digital Health Strategy (until 2029) prepared by the Ministry of Health. The strategy covers the period until 2029, in line with the programming period of the EU Structural Funds, which ends on 31 December 2029. This period is critical for leveraging EU funding, making it a primary source of investment for the strategy. While other healthcare development plans may include digital health measures, this strategy specifically outlines the directions and tasks for digital transformation to achieve public health policy goals for 2021–2027.
The strategy presented in this document serves as an informative report outlining key principles and information for the advancement of digital health in Latvia. It aims to create a common understanding and vision among all stakeholders, including healthcare providers and developers of digital solutions. This collaborative approach aims to improve data availability, interoperability and the development of digital services within the healthcare sector. The strategy covers several critical aspects, including its timeframe, alignment with EU structural funds and impact on public health policy.
The strategy aims to significantly reduce the circulation of “paper” medical documents, to promote the digitization of health data by medical institutions in order to process patients’ health data in a structured way, and to provide medical staff with access to patients’ digital health data created in all medical institutions, regardless of the type of service (government-funded or fee-paying). The strategy also foresees that digital solutions will enable patients to participate more actively in their healthcare, in order to implement measures to promote the use of remote solutions and other digital technologies in treatment and prevention, thus providing more accessible (also in the regions), higher quality, more efficient and more convenient health services. The strategy aims to raise awareness of digital health solutions among health professionals in order to fully exploit the opportunities offered by new technologies.
Funding for the strategy will come mainly from EU structural funds and the state budget, including funding allocated to support patient-oriented digital solutions, telemedicine and the maintenance of health information systems. EU Cohesion Policy programmes for 2021–2027 will also contribute to the funding of the strategy, along with other EU investment programmes focused on digitalization.