Electronic Health: Challenges, Prospects and Applications in Cyprus, Greece and EU


Published: Dec 31, 2025
Keywords:
e-Health Telemedicine Electronic Healthcare Record Interoperability Data Security Legal Frameworks Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
Danai Christofi
Nikolaos Tsoromokos
Dimitrios Zarakovitis
Dimitrios Tsoromokos
Abstract

Electronic health (e-Health) is a crucial sector of modern healthcare and greatly enhances the quality of healthcare services. The application of e-Health in Cyprus, Greece and the EU faces many challenges, such as the lack of infrastructure, legal issues and the need of training healthcare providers. However, it offers many significant prospects, such as improving quality by strengthening infrastructure and digitizing services aiming to achieve better data management and increased personal data security. E-health is implemented in Cyprus through the General Healthcare System (GHS), in Greece through the National Health System (ESY) and in the EU through many strategies and initiatives. The collaboration of the Member States is crucial for the achievement of common goals and improvement of the interoperability of healthcare systems. In conclusion, e-Health is the future of healthcare and technological development significantly contributes to the improvement of healthcare services.

Article Details
  • Section
  • Articles
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Ahern, D. K. (2007). Challenges and Opportunities of eHealth Research. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 32(5), S75–S82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2007.01.016
Angelidis, P., Giest, S., Dumortier, J., & Artmann, J. (2010). Country Brief: Cyprus. Information Society and Media, European Commission. Available at: https://ehealth-strategies.eu/database/documents/Cyprus_CountryBrief_eHStrategies.pdf
Baudier, P., Kondrateva, G., Ammi, C., Chang, V., & Schiavone, F. (2023). Digital transformation of healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic: Patients’ teleconsultation acceptance and trusting beliefs. Technovation, 120, 102547. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2022.102547
Canciu, I. C., Pattichis, C. S., Christodoulou, M., Agroti, L., Papaioannou, M., Neocleous, A., Savva, P., Yiasemi, C., Neofytou, M., Panayides, A. S., Antoniou, Z. C., & Constantinou, I. (2023). Enhancing Healthcare Accessibility: A Teleconsultation Mobile Application for Patient-Centric Care in Cyprus: MYeHealthAppCY: Patient-Centered Teleconsultation. Proceedings of the 24th International Conference on Computer Systems and Technologies, Ruse, Bulgaria, 111-116. https://doi.org/10.1145/3606305.3606329
Cowie, M. R., Blomster, J. I., Curtis, L. H., Duclaux, S., Ford, I., Fritz, F., Goldman, S., Janmohamed, S., Kreuzer, J., Leenay, M., Michel, A., Ong, S., Pell, J. P., Southworth, M. R., Stough, W. G., Thoenes, M., Zannad, F., & Zalewski, A. (2017). Electronic health records to facilitate clinical research. Clinical Research in Cardiology, 106(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00392-016-1025-6
da Fonseca, M. H., Kovaleski, F., Picinin, C. T., Pedroso, B., & Rubbo, P. (2021). E-Health Practices and Technologies: A Systematic Review from 2014 to 2019. Healthcare, 9(9), 1192. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9091192
Doupi, P. (2007). eHealth strategy and implementation activities in Greece: Report in the framework of the eHealth ERA project. Information Society and Media, eHealth ERA. Available at: https://ehealth-strategies.eu/database/documents/Greece_eHealth-ERA_country_report.pdf
European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. (2021). Horizon Europe, open science: Early knowledge and data sharing, and open collaboration. Publications Office of the European Union. Available at: https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/9570017e-cd82-11eb-ac72-01aa75ed71a1/language-en
European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. (2021b). Horizon Europe, the EU research and innovation programme (2021-2027): for a green, healthy, digital and inclusive Europe. Publications Office of the European Union. Available at: https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/601756
European Commission. (2012). eHealth action plan 2012-2020: Innovative healthcare for the 21st century. Available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=celex%3A52012DC0736
European Commission. (2021a). EU4Health programme 2021-2027: A vision for a healthier European Union. Available at: https://health.ec.europa.eu/funding/eu4health-programme-2021-2027-vision-healthier-european-union_en
European Commission. (2021c). Interoperability of Electronic Health Records in the EU. Available at: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/interoperability-electronic-health-records-eu
European Commission. (2025a). European health data space regulation (EHDS). Available at: https://health.ec.europa.eu/ehealth-digital-health-and-care/european-health-data-space-regulation-ehds_en
European Commission. (2025b). Electronic cross-border health services. Available at: https://health.ec.europa.eu/ehealth-digital-health-and-care/digital-health-and-care/electronic-cross-border-health-services_en
Eysenbach, G. (2001). What Is e-health? Journal of Medical Internet Research, 3(2), e20. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.3.2.e20
Fragidis, L. L., & Chatzoglou, P. D. (2012). Challenges in Implementing Nationwide Electronic Health records: Lessons Learned and How Should Be Implemented in Greece. Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Information Communication Technologies in Health, Samos Island, Greece, 221-229. Available at: https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/52812415/Challenges_in_implementing_nationwide_el20170425-3103-1dq8rvb-libre.pdf
Fragidis, L. L., & Chatzoglou, P. D. (2018). Implementation of a nationwide electronic health record (EHR). International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, 31(2), 116–130. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa-09-2016-0136
Grammatikopoulou, M., Lazarou, I., Giannios, G., Kakalou, C. A., Zachariadou, M., Zande, M., Karanikas, H., Thireos, E., Stavropoulos, T. G., Natsiavas, P., Nikolopoulos, S., & Kompatsiaris, I. (2024). Electronic prescription systems in Greece: a large-scale survey of healthcare professionals’ perceptions. Archives of Public Health, 82(1), 68. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13690-024-01304-6
Health Insurance Organization. (2018). General Healthcare system (GHS). Available at: https://www.gesy.org.cy/sites/Sites?d=Desktop&locale=en_US&lookuphost=/en-us/&lookuppage=hiovision
IDIKA S. A. (n.d.). Electronic Governance of Social Security (IDIKA). Available at: https://www.idika.gr
Katehakis, D. G. (2018). Electronic Medical Record Implementation Challenges for the National Health System in Greece. International Journal of Reliable and Quality E-Healthcare, 7(1), 16–30. https://doi.org/10.4018/ijrqeh.2018010102
Katehakis, D.G., Kouroubali, A., & Fundulaki, I. (2018). Towards the Development of a National eHealth Interoperability Framework to Address Public Health Challenges in Greece. Proceedings of the First International Workshop on Semantic Web Technologies for Health Data Management (SWH 2018), Monterey, California, USA. Available at: https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/88767748/paper6-libre.pdf
Kierkegaard, P. (2013). eHealth in Denmark: A Case Study. Journal of Medical Systems, 37(6). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10916-013-9991-y
Kondilis, E., Smyrnakis, E., Gavana, M., Giannakopoulos, S., Zdoukos, T., Iliffe, S., & Benos, A. (2012). Economic crisis and primary care reform in Greece: driving the wrong way? The British Journal of General Practice, 62(598), 264–265. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp12X641546
Kovačić, M., Mutavdžija, M., & Buntak, K. (2022). e-Health Application, Implementation and Challenges: A Literature Review. Business Systems Research Journal, 13(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.2478/bsrj-2022-0001
Odone, A., Buttigieg, S., Ricciardi, W., Azzopardi-Muscat, N., & Staines, A. (2019). Public health digitalization in EuropeEUPHA vision, action and role in digital public health. European Journal of Public Health, 29, 28–35. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckz161
OECD & European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. (2023). Greece: Country health profile 2023. Available at: https://eurohealthobservatory.who.int/publications/m/greece-country-health-profile-2023
Papaioannou, M., Neocleous, A., Savva, P., Miguel, F., Panayides, A., Antoniou, Z., Neofytou, M., Schiza, E. C., Neokleous, K., Constantinou, I., Panos, G., Pattichis, C. S., & Schizas, C. N. (2021). A Prototype of the National EHR System for Cyprus. In 2021 43rd Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine & Biology Society (EMBC), Mexico, 2159-2162. https://doi.org/10.1109/EMBC46164.2021
Quaglio, G., Dario, C., Stafylas, P., Tiik, M., McCormack, S., Zilgalvis, P., d’Angelantonio, M., Karapiperis, T., Saccavini, C., Kaili, E., Bertinato, L., Bowis, J., Currie, W. L., & Hoerbst, A. (2016). E-Health in Europe: Current situation and challenges ahead. Health Policy and Technology, 5(4), 314–317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hlpt.2016.07.010
Scholz, N. (2015). eHealth: Technology for health. European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS). Available at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2015/551324/EPRS_BRI(2015)551324_EN.pdf
Sementilli, S., d’Auria, S., & Rossi Mori, A. (2007). eHealth Strategy and Implementation Activities in Cyprus: Report in the Framework of the eHealth ERA Project. Information Society and Media, eHealth ERA. Available at: https://ehealth-strategies.eu/database/documents/Cyprus_eHealth-ERA_country_report.pdf
Voutsidou, S., Moraitis, E., Sissouras, A., Jelastopulu, E., & Charalampous, G. (2019). e-Health and primary health care: Telemedicine in the Greek national health system. International Journal of Recent Scientific Research, 10, 34320–34325.
World Health Assembly. (2005). eHealth (Resolution WHA58.28). World Health Organization. Available at: https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA58/WHA58_28-en.pdf
World Health Organization. (2021). Global strategy on digital health 2020-2025. Available at: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/documents/gs4dhdaa2a9f352b0445bafbc79ca799dce4d.pdf
Most read articles by the same author(s)