National Health Outcomes Observatories (H2O)

The national Health Outcomes Observatories (H2O) are independent, not-for-profit, legal entities created for data collection, analysis and evidence sharing to enhance clinical practice and inform healthcare decision-making. By creating a common language for patients and physicians, H2O facilitates the standardized sharing of insights on health outcomes, improves communication and enables joint decision-making in healthcare.

This common language aims to empower patients to articulate what matters most to them, fostering better communication with physicians and enhancing the overall healthcare experience.

The Network

H2O has established four National Observatories in Austria, Germany, Spain, and The Netherlands, focusing on three major diseases: cancer, diabetes, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Each observatory operates under a governance model that ensures data protection in compliance with national and European laws. Patients retain control over their data, which is securely managed for individual and collective care, research, and the evaluation of new technologies.

Pan-European Collaboration

These national entities connect to the Pan-European Observatory (PEO), which promotes interoperability and guides the implementation of similar models in other countries. The PEO’s mission is twofold:

1. To standardize patient outcomes using digital tools, improving communication between patients and physicians.
2. To ensure that health data from these communications can be accessed by researchers, with patient agreement.

The pan-European Health Outcomes Observatory is a pioneering effort, paving the way for the European Health Data Space (EHDS). By leveraging secure, patient-reported health outcomes data, we aim to improve patient care, advance health research, and inform policymaking at regional, national, European, and global levels.

The PEO Board comprises professionals dedicated to advancing patient-centered healthcare and ensures comprehensive governance and strategic direction. The member are:

🔹 Dr Jørgen Schøler Kristensen (Chairman of the Danish Medicines Council), who will serve as Chair
🔹 Dr Linetta Koppert (Dutch H2O), who will serve as Vice-Chair
🔹Andreas Christodoulou (European Patients’​ Forum Board Member), who will join the Board as Treasurer; and
🔹Board Members Dr Matthias Rose (German H2O), Dr Pilar Rodriguez Ledo (Spanish H2O), and Héctor Röthlisberger.