Minsait shows how interoperability is the key to boosting digitalization and reducing the health gap in Latin America

The pandemic that we are experiencing worldwide has accelerated the demand for interoperable information systems, which entails the development of interconnected applications and devices that allow the exchange of data between doctors, patients and managers and their cooperative use to improve the health of the population, ensure continuity of care and reduce costs. 

Accordingly, the White Paper on Interoperability in Healthcare just published by Minsait, an Indra company, shows how interoperable healthcare systems can help boost digitalization and reduce the gap between Latin America's health outcomes and the most developed countries in this field. To find out how this can be achieved, a study was conducted with interviews with 80 leaders from eight countries in the region (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay), covering approximately 80% of the population.  

The report provides evidence that interoperability is presented as an opportunity to cope with the important health challenges that exist in Latin America; from universal access to health services, to prevention, detection and treatment of chronic and degenerative diseases increasingly prevalent. 

In addition, it highlights the key role of interoperable systems as accelerators of e-Health by allowing the adoption of technologies such as Big Data and artificial intelligence to support the extraction of value from data and achieve more sustainable health systems that provide more patient-centered care and so that clinical information a key aspect that guides the decisions of the various agents in the system. 

For Minsait, the main barriers to progressing towards interoperability are associated with data heterogeneity, the use of multiple standards and an aversion to working in open environments. Rem‎oving these barriers will allow patients to own their information and obtain personalized, quality care; and professionals to more easily access patient information for better diagnosis and treatment.  

The report concludes that the interoperability of a geographic environment is directly related to the prioritization of pillars such as its inclusion in the Digital Agenda, the strength of the regulatory-economic environment, the use of international standards (semantic, syntactic and/or technical), the consistency of its technological infrastructures and information systems, as well as the availability of human resources with specialized knowledge.

Uruguay, Argentina and Colombia, the best rated

According to the data extracted from the responses to the surveys carried out in the eight countries, and as global conclusions for Latin America, the strategic environment is the axis that is rated most highly by the experts thanks to the existence of digital agendas aligned with interoperability, while the axes with the greatest capacity for improvement are associated with the formation of specialized profiles, the use of interoperable solutions by citizens and the economic and social impact.

In line with this, the individual results of the eight countries studied are very positive for Uruguay, Argentina and Colombia. This advantage is based on their successful strategies in the last decade in relation to the interoperability in health of projects such as the National Electronic Health Record in Uruguay, the National Health Network in Argentina and the Unified Electronic Health Record in Bogotá, Colombia.
Other data extracted from the surveys of the experts interviewed place in Spain, Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada as the countries with the highest level of interoperability in health. In the Latin American region, the interviewees highlighted Uruguay, followed by Argentina, Chile and Colombia.

Data: the core and driver of transformation 

In Minsait's opinion, the reference technology model for interoperability should solve the difficulties of using fragmented and limited medical records, making it possible to work under a standardized data model framework, free of private property, and capable of developing new functionalities independently from the supplier.

For this purpose, the company considers it essential to transform the current role of the information systems - established as service suppliers- towards an ecosystem model in which the value of the data is maximized, making it the core and driver of the transformation of every organization, and enabling a better understanding of the system users, automating processes, predicting scenarios, reducing operating costs and achieving a differentiation in the quality of a personalized service.

In this regard, the report demands the incorporation of analytical skills of qualified people who segment the data well and make the appropriate queries to obtain the precise information from the available data, as well as the use of open platforms to enable an ecosystem that promotes competition among suppliers (at the application, service and platform level) and allows a better management of the citizen's health.

Finally, Minsait's study shows the gap that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused in Latin American society, which has brought into sharp focus the need for a robust health system, supported by technologies as a key lever to share information.

The data extracted from the survey of 20 key geographical collaborators on the specific role played by interoperability during the crisis highlights the lack of security and confidentiality of the data exchanged, as well as the absence of accurate, timely and real-time information, from the point of view of resource management.

On the other hand, the opinions in relation to the professional field show important deficiencies in the doctor-patient communication technologies and in the multichannel access to clinical information. The demand for more channels also extends to the citizen's sphere, where the absence of secure tracking technologies is also manifest.

About Minsait

Minsait, an Indra company (www.minsait.com), is a leading firm in Digital Transformation Consultancy and Information Technologies in Spain and Latin America. Minsait possesses a high degree of specialization and knowledge of the sector, which it backs up with its high capability to integrate the core world with the digital world, its leadership in innovation and digital transformation, and its flexibility. Thus, it focuses its offering on high-impact value propositions, based on end-to-end solutions, with a remarkable degree of segmentation, which enables it to achieve tangible impacts for its customers in each industry with a transformational focus. Its capabilities and leadership are demonstrated in its product range, under the brand Onesait, and its across-the-board range of services.

About Indra

Indra (www.indracompany.com) is one of the leading global technology and consulting companies and the technological partner for core business operations of its customers world-wide. It’s a world leader in providing proprietary solutions in specific segments in Transport and Defence markets, and a leading firm in Digital Transformation Consultancy and Information Technologies in Spain and Latin America through its affiliate Minsait. Its business model is based on a comprehensive range of proprietary products, with a high-value focus and with a high innovation component. In the 2019 financial year, Indra achieved revenue of €3.204 billion, with more than 49,000 employees, a local presence in 46 countries and business operations in over 140 countries.