7th European Conference on Health Law

Innovation & Healthcare New challenges for Europe

under the auspices of the Secretary General of the council of Europe, Mr thorbjørn Jagland

Welcome letter 

On behalf of the organizing committee it is my great pleasure to welcome you in Toulouse for the 7th European Conference on Health Law “Innovation & Healthcare: New Challenges for Europe” organized by the Paul Sabatier University, in close cooperation with the EAHL.

Key European goals as set out in the Europe 2020 strategy are related to economic growth and development, European competitiveness, healthcare, and quality of life, all hinge on continued and increasing innovation in healthcare in Europe.

Ageing populations and the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases put European countries face to new challenges in their ability to provide better-integrated and sustainable health and social services including expensive and innovative treatments. Thus, guidance and regulation must be continuously adapted and updated to allow the development of innovative clinical solutions and more complex therapeutics (e.g. stratified and personalized medicine, advanced therapies…)

The use of Digital health information, medical records, personal data and “Information and Communication Technologies - ICTs” (such as connected objects, Apps… delivering health data and well-being data) interrogate their further use notably in research and how they will be regulated.

Healthcare innovation should not only be assessed from a scientific perspective, but also in the wider context whereby clinical benefits, economic / health-outcome improvements and the respect of patients’ rights are demonstrable and rewarded appropriately. Relevant legal issues related to Intellectual property (IP) does need to be addressed, taking into account the need to find the right balance between sharing information and creating competition.

In this open Innovation strategy, all stakeholders, governments, policymakers and service providers, have to strike a delicate balance together between delivering high quality and accessible healthcare, while containing costs and putting patients first. To this aim cooperation and adequate legal frameworks taking into account societal, ethical, economic and human rights issues are essential.

Following the advices of the scientific committee, with our partners we offer you a wide selection of distinguished speakers and interesting workshops that, we hope, will meet your expectations and curiosity.

Moreover, you will enjoy the warm hospitality of Toulouse and appreciate the cultural heritage and the achievements of space and airplane technologies.

Welcome to Toulouse!

Anne-Marie Duguet President of the 7th EAHL Conference

Assisted by Annagrazia Altavilla and Emmanuelle Rial-Sebbag

Congress venue

 The welcome desk will be held at the Hôtel Dieu Saint Jacques

Born from the meeting of the Sainte-Marie hospital in La Daurade (1130) and the Novel hospital (1225), the Hôtel Dieu's mission was to welcome the pilgrims of Saint-Jacques, who after having performed their devotions going around the Holy Corps at Saint-Sernin, they took the road back to Galicia, crossing the Garonne, and making their way to Isle-Jourdain. Thus he was later given the name Saint-Jacques hospital at the end of the bridge (1313), then Hotel-Dieu Saint-Jacques (1554).

This hospital foundation became from the sixteenth century the largest hospital in Toulouse, until the opening of the Hospital Purpan in 1946..