Philips Analysis Offers Framework for National Cardiovascular Plans Ahead of EU 2027 Deadline
The European Union (EU) has called on Member States to design and implement national cardiovascular health plans by 2027. The call comes from the Safe Hearts Plan, the first EU-wide approach to tackling cardiovascular disease, which remains Europe’s leading cause of mortality and disability, and sets a goal of reducing mortality from heart disease by 25%. The plan addresses gaps in research and innovation, supports Member States in developing national plans, and promotes the opportunities of digital and AI, with the overarching ambition of reducing the impact of cardiovascular diseases on societies, health systems, and economies across the EU by improving prevention, detection, treatment, care, and outcomes.
飞利浦 noted that European countries take various approaches to heart health, but many treat prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up as separate stages, resulting in differing patient outcomes and missed opportunities for improvement. To understand how countries can effectively prepare and implement a robust national cardiovascular plan, Philips examined plans from the Czech Republic, Latvia, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, and Spain. Because policy documents differ in legal status, scope, duration, and operational detail, the analysis examined what each plan specifies using a common framework covering the patient pathway — prevention, detection, treatment, and follow-up — and five health system enablers: data and digital infrastructure, financing and reimbursement, workforce, equity, and governance and adoption. Philips noted that the analysis is not a ranking, as countries have different approaches and opportunities to learn from one another.
The Philips analysis found that all six plans address major elements of cardiovascular care and each brings strengths and lessons. Poland and Latvia have developed robust frameworks for financing and implementing cardiovascular programs; the Czech Republic and Luxembourg offer strong examples of connected digital systems that allow hospitals and clinics to share patient information; and Poland and the Czech Republic use effective governance structures to help translate policy into care. Across the six countries, the analysis identifies opportunities to reinforce connections between stages of care, including more effectively demonstrating how patients move between prevention and treatment, how long-term follow-up is paid for, who is responsible for implementation, and strengthened measurable access targets. Philips noted that tracking how many people are screened is only part of the picture, and that national plans could also consider whether people identified as at risk are referred for appropriate follow-up, receive the right diagnosis, and then get suitable support or treatment, with clear pathways connecting initial checks to follow-up tests such as ultrasound or CT scans, and to coaching, monitoring, or treatment.
Jan-Willem Scheijgrond, Head of Government and Public Affairs at Philips, said that national plans and cardiovascular health policies could be improved by connecting policy ambitions across the full patient pathway. Scheijgrond noted that supporting coordinated strategies with clear financing, interoperable data, workforce capacity, equity measures, and accountable implementation is also a critical success factor.
