On Monday 16th November, the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) launched a 5-year worldwide research project – Gravitate-Health, that aims for improved access and understanding of health information, for safe use of medicines, risk minimization and improved quality of life.

40 leading partners from civil society, academia and industry in 15 countries have joined forces to develop novel, patient-focussed healthcare information tools that will offer citizens timely access to trustworthy, relevant information about medicines

The main outputs will be an open source digital platform supporting G-Lens functionally, and a White Paper with recommendations on realistic strategies to strengthen access, understanding and future use of digital services like electronic product information (ePI) as a tool for risk minimization.

By developing electronic tools to improve access of patients and healthcare professionals to information on medicines Gravitate-Health aligns its goals with the relevant recommendations from the European Commission (COM(2017) 135 final) and the European Medicines Agency’s subsequent action plan to improve the product information for the EU (EMA/680018/2017).

The Action seeks to demonstrate that such improvement translates to higher levels of adherence to treatment, safer use of medication (Pharmacovigilance), and better health outcomes and quality of life, and to develop new and deeper insights into how use of available health information can be optimized to act as effective risk minimization measures. Patient voice and human touch are at the heart of Gravitate-Health. Broad patient and stakeholder engagement underpin the planned work and will drive the technology development through the life of the project.

UNICOM believes that the two projects may unite forces to address end-users and reach common objectives to increase patient safety and improve healthcare for all.