The 3G Doctor reports that the GSM Association has published its Mobile Manifesto for Europe, which explains the association's vision for the European mobile industry. Part of the manifesto includes a promise to “put in place a long term strategy for mobile use in healthcare” and to “provide confidence around investment for national health authorities,” according to the 3G Doctor blog. Here's the relevant text from the manifesto:

"Mobile delivery of eHealth: The European healthcare system faces tough challenges. The aging population is driving increased demand for healthcare services, the incidence of chronic disease (and health risks such as obesity) is rising, and interventions are often late and therefore expensive. This is set against a backdrop of high patient expectations and stable or declining budgets.

Mobile can leverage its unique capabilities to address these challenges. It can support the delivery of healthcare through telemedicine for the chronically ill and sending reminders to patients to take medication or go to a doctor’s appointment. It can also enable remote monitoring using machine-to-machine (M2M) technologies. Mobile can also support the secure storage and transfer of medical data from anywhere to anywhere. Such mobile applications can improve the efficiency and efficacy of healthcare, freeing up space and staff time in hospitals to focus on the most serious cases."

For more, read the Manifesto here (via 3G Doctor)