European Health Information Gateway

The magnitude of out-of-pocket payments for health care is an important indicator of financial hardship. The more a health system relies on out-of-pocket payments, the more likely households are to experience catastrophic or impoverishing health spending. Numbers alone do not tell the whole story, however – policy choices also matter.

The health information system (HIS) and data governance database brings together selected indicators from WHO/Euro’s Digital Health Survey (data collection: 2022, 53 Member States responded), AI Survey (data collection: 2024-2025, 50 Member States responded) and health information system assessment reports (available for 15 Member States, assessments performed between 2022 and 2025). Its purpose is to create a comprehensive overview of the advancements and bottlenecks related to HIS and data governance in the WHO European Region. As such, it forms a catalogue of expertise and needs that can be used as a tool for identifying frontrunners and best practices and for gaining insights into barriers and impeding factors across the Region.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming how health systems are designed, delivered, and governed across the WHO European Region. As AI continues to evolve, it is increasingly shaping the way countries plan health services, manage data, and make strategic decisions. In recognition of this shift, the 2024–2025 Survey on Artificial Intelligence for Health Care provides the first region-wide assessment of where Member States stand in terms of policies, regulations, strategies, data governance, adoption, and workforce preparedness for AI in health.