The Government of Cape Verde will prepare a Digital Health Strategy, which will include real-time, remote (online) management via the Internet of waiting lists, patient transfers and the creation of a single clinical user file.
Details are contained in the announcement that Lusa saw this Thursday for the selection of a consultant who will help with the task of providing the population with “the best digital solutions to improve access to healthcare.”
Particular attention needs to be paid to “the most vulnerable groups of the population and those who are unfamiliar with digital technologies in general.”
The four-month consultation is supported by the World Bank and follows the creation of the Intersectoral Commission for Coordination and Monitoring of the National Digital Health Strategy (CICA-ENSD) in June 2023.
By moving from paper-based systems to digital systems that are interconnected automatically and in real time, following international best practices, the government also hopes to “bring transparency in resource management, improve responses to priority diseases and streamline data-driven decisions.”
Among the planned new features is a single clinical file containing all user information, also available in private medical structures.
Real-time information will also be available on waiting lists for consultations and additional tests in hospitals and health centers, as well as their direct management, “which will improve efficiency and inform better decision-making,” the government hopes.
Another feature will be an integrated system that will manage medical transfers to make travel planning more efficient by integrating technical, clinical and economic-financial information.
“The goal is to record history and clinical evolution, patient monitoring, electronic prescriptions and more across various healthcare structures in the country,” including a module on childbirth.
The Cape Verdean National Health System (SNS) consists of two central hospitals (Praia and Mindelo), four regional hospitals, 32 health centers, four reproductive health centers, an occupational therapy center, a mental health center and 114 basic health care units.
Implementing a digital strategy must involve investing in connecting a variety of services, as few have access to broadband to support the speed and use of image services.
The computerization process of SNS began in 2004 after a technical problem at the Agostinho Neto Hospital (Praia).
At that time, all patient data and statistical information was lost, necessitating the implementation of a remote system.
The process has evolved over the years with the integration of various management modules, from financial to medical.
The government has invested in the digitalization of the entire public administration system, which has an impact on healthcare, starting, for example, with the implementation of a digital service management module piloted at the regional hospital of Santa Rita Vieira (Santiago Island).
Another laboratory management module has also been completed.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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