Commission launches new platform for cross-border medical discussions on rare diseases

The Commission has launched a new IT platform for cross-border medical discussions on rare diseases. The Clinical Patient Management System 2.0 (CPMS 2.0) will support the European Reference Networks (ERNs) in improving the diagnosis and treatment of rare or low prevalence complex diseases across member states. CPMS 2.0, which is funded by the EU4Health programme, replaces the old CPMS platform, in place since 2017.

The new platform ushers in a new era of cross-border medical discussions. Being patient-centric and enabling remote multidisciplinary discussions like never before, the new platform is fully compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation and provides a safe space for clinicians from different member states to collaborate on complex rare disease cases.

The platform code will be released as open source, paving the way for future national platforms, which can even be extended to non-rare diseases. For the first time in the EU, a solid basis for developing similar IT systems at national level will be available free of charge, enabling remote online discussions between healthcare professionals and further reducing the need for patient travel.

The European Reference Networks (ERNs) are cross-border networks that bring together centres of expertise in the EU and Norway to tackle rare, low prevalence and complex diseases or health conditions requiring highly specialised healthcare. One third of the 24 ERNs have already moved to the new platform, with more ERNs to follow in the coming weeks.

More information

• European Reference Networks – European Commission

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