OA2094. Scaling remote healthcare in Europe: Policy and innovation pathways from the IRHIS project

Abstract Issue/Problem Europe faces rising long-term care demands and unequal access to advanced remote healthcare, especially in Less Developed Regions (LDRs). While AI-enabled MedTech for Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) is advancing, its fragmented adoption, limits its potential to improve outcomes, enhance safety, support emergency care, and reduce costs. Description The IRHIS project addresses these challenges by establishing the first EU-wide Advanced Remote Care Demonstration Chain, focusing on three critical areas: musculoskeletal rehabilitation, neurological disorder treatment, and critical care monitoring. These domains are vital for both chronic care and acute emergency response scenarios. IRHIS scales AI-powered MedTech solutions from LDR-based SMEs through three Interregional DemoScale Labs, promoting cross-border innovation and investment synergies. Over 1,000 patients will participate in real-world testing, enabling continuous improvement of AI-driven solutions, emergency responsiveness, and safety in remote care delivery. Results IRHIS maps remote care innovations across Europe, identifying key stakeholders, innovation trends, smart specialization strategies (S3), and relevant regulatory frameworks. The analysis reveals major adoption gaps and the need for tailored regional strategies that prioritize emergency preparedness, and patient safety. Key enablers include integration models, modern reimbursement schemes, cross-border interoperability standards, and user-centered design. Lessons Widespread adoption of remote care technologies requires (i) investment in interoperable digital infrastructure; (ii) collaboration among patients, providers, innovators, and regional authorities; (iii) supportive regulatory and policy environments that promote interregional innovation investments; and (iv) Sharing of good practices to overcome technical barriers. Key messages • Remote care innovation provides a viable path towards alleviating pressures of long-term care systems, if supported by coherent policy, regional synergies, and integrated digital ecosystems. • IRHIS offers a strategic and scalable roadmap for promoting accessible, effective, and sustainable AI-powered remote healthcare services, helping Europe become more health-resilient, equitable, and digitally empowered. Topic AI-powered MedTech, Remote Patient Monitoring, Regional Innovation.