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Insights from Pharma 2025: Patient empowerment through the European Health Data Space (EHDS)

At the Pharma 2025 conference in Barcelona, global industry leaders, innovators, and changemakers gathered to explore the evolving landscape of pharmaceuticals and healthcare. Through a series of in-depth interviews with experts from across the sector, Cencora uncovered valuable perspectives on the challenges and opportunities shaping the future. Topics discussed included accelerating access to innovation, enhancing patient-centricity, and harnessing the power of data and digital transformation.

These conversations reflect the pulse of an industry in motion, committed to driving smarter, more sustainable healthcare solutions in an increasingly complex world. Whether focusing on regulatory evolution, market access, technological breakthroughs, or cross-sector collaboration, each expert offered a unique perspective on how pharma is adapting to meet the needs of tomorrow.

Dr Mohammad Al-Ubaydli, CEO of Patients Know Best, joined Herbert Altmann, Vice President Market Access and Healthcare Consulting Europe at Cencora, to explore the European Health Data Space (EHDS) and its potential to transform patient data management across Europe.

The role of the European Health Data Space (EHDS)

The EHDS, initiated in February 2025, aims to improve the movement and accessibility of health data across Europe¹. Expressing optimism about the new regulation, Dr Al-Ubaydli emphasized its focus on empowering citizens. “It’s really about the human rights of the citizen being able to understand their data, understand their health,” he stated, believing that the initiative can drive innovation in digital health across the EU.

Key expectations and challenges

1. Patient empowerment

A central theme of the EHDS is enhancing patient autonomy. Dr Al-Ubaydli explained, “The main emphasis is on trying to give the data to the patient, not to the country or the hospital.” This represents a shift from a provider-centric model to a patient-centric one–an essential step for integrating health data. However, the transition will require overcoming significant infrastructural and cultural challenges within healthcare systems, which have historically been organized around specialists rather than the patients themselves.

2. Building trust and readiness

While Altmann raised a critical question regarding patients' readiness to embrace this new empowerment, Dr Al-Ubaydli emphasized that patients have historically been the largest providers of their own care, especially when managing chronic conditions and making daily health decisions. Therefore, the real challenge lies in building trust in the system and implementing appropriate measures to ensure data security and prevent misuse.

3. Stakeholder engagement

Engaging all stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem, including pharmaceutical companies, healthcare systems, and governments, is vital for realizing the full potential of the EHDS. While there is a general consensus on the need for patient empowerment, practical engagement varies significantly across different European countries. Dr Al-Ubaydli shared the example of the Nordic countries, which have been pioneers in embracing patient-centric models, while other nations face bureaucratic and cultural hurdles.

The potential of real-world evidence

The EHDS has the potential to enhance research and accelerate innovation in healthcare. By facilitating the collection and analysis of real-world evidence, the EHDS can provide invaluable insights that inform clinical trials and improve treatment outcomes. We at Cencora have a global RWE CoE which is constantly involved in the latest EHDS developments. This focus on real-world data will be instrumental in driving advancements in patient care and ensuring that treatments are aligned with actual patient needs.

The conversations at Pharma 2025 underscored the transformative potential of the EHDS in empowering patients and reshaping healthcare delivery across Europe. As stakeholders navigate the complexities of this transition, addressing the challenges of trust, engagement, and infrastructure will be critical. The next few years will be pivotal in determining how effectively the EHDS can enhance patient access to their health data and foster a more innovative and responsive healthcare system.

Watch the full conversation

Watch the insightful discussion between Dr Mohammad Al-Ubaydli and Herbert Altmann to gain a deeper understanding of the EHDS and its implications for the healthcare industry. Discover how these changes can enhance patient engagement and what they mean for your organization.

Watch now

The contents of this piece contain marketing statements and do not include legal advice.

¹Regulation (EU) 2025/327 on the European Health Data Space and amending Directive 2011/24/EU and Regulation (EU) 2024/2847
https://health.ec.europa.eu/latest-updates/regulation-eu-2025327-european-health-data-space-and-amending-directive-201124eu-and-regulation-eu-2025-03-05_en

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