History

The "Center for eHealth Applications and Services", as an autonomous organizational activity, was established in 2010 as the evolution of the eHealth research activity, founded in 1985 by Professor Stelios Orphanoudakis (1948-2005). The initial name of the Laboratory was “Center of Medical Informatics & Health Telematics Applications”.  Subsequent changes followed, leading to the former "Biomedical Informatics Laboratory". Since the beginning research and development (R&D) activities were focusing -among others- on Health Information Networks and advanced eHealth services.

Through its long research activities and participation in a large number of European research projects and international co-operations, the Center has developed a series of eHealth applications, which now are operating in a big number of healthcare organizations.

A major milestone was the implementation of HYGEIAnet which was the first Regional Health Telematics Network in Greece that involved all healthcare organizations of Crete as well as the local EKAB (National Health Emergency Coordination Center). Applications developed during that period are the predecessors of today’s eHealth services.

Another major milestone was the successful implementation of the Regional Health Information Networks for the 1st and 2nd Regional Health System of Greece

Important milestones are the following:

• 1985
  Establishment of the Laboratory
• 2001
  Completion of the implementation of HYGEIAnet (first Regional Health Telematics Network in Greece)
• 2003
  eEurope Award for eHealth
• 2006
  Establishment of the Technical Support Office in Athens
• 2007
  Certification with ISO 9001:2000 for Implementation of Information and Communication Technology projects in the domain of Health
  Establishment of the Technical Support Office in Patras
• 2009
  Completion of the project "Integrated Health Information System and ICT Services for the 3rd Regional Health System of Attica" on behalf of Information Society SA (final beneficiary 2nd Regional Health System of Piraeus and Aegean)
• 2010
  Completion of the project "Implementation of the Integrated Health Information System for the 1st Regional Health System of Attica" on behalf of the 1st Regional Health System of Attica.
• 2011
  Certification of the Nursing and Medical Applications (under the product name ICS-M), which are part of the software suite “Integrated Care Solutions” with the Seal of Quality Electronic Health Record (EHR) Level 2 (EuroRec EHR Quality Seal Level 2) by the European Institute for Health Records EuroRec (www.eurorec.org).