The Ministry of Health (Minsalud) and Sports and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) are developing a strategy to strengthen the National Health Information System (SNIS) and promote digital transformation in the country.
The SNIS is the public body in Bolivia that provides health information in a timely and reliable manner, it has data from all health services in the state and at the three levels of care. To promote the digitalization of services and offer better management of information related to the COVID-19 pandemic, PAHO and the Ministry of Health inaugurated a situational room and an international interoperability course with HL7.
“We now have a situational room that is equipped, which will allow data analysis and strategic decision-making in what to do about health and that is a high point for the Ministry, since our next decision meetings are going to be in this room taking into account that we have strategic information around us”, explained Dr. Germán Crespo, general director of Planning of the Minsa.
On the other hand, the Interoperability with HL7 course promotes the training of professionals in the understanding of standards for the exchange of clinical information, and more. The course will be held at the national level, with the presence of the Departmental Health Services (SEDES), technical managers of the SNIS and engineers who work on improving health software.
“I want to emphasize that we recognize Dr. Rocco Abruzzese for having accepted a program and support approach that is not limited to replacing the regular actions of the Ministry of Health. We have agreed that there must be an added value, an increase in the capacity of the institution and there must be innovation of a technological leap and that has materialized. On behalf of PAHO/WHO in Bolivia, I convey our satisfaction”, explained Dr. Julio Pedroza, PAHO representative in Bolivia.
digital transformation
On the other hand, Rocco Abruzzese, head of the SNIS-VE (epidemiological surveillance), highlighted the importance of digitization in the system and the implementation of new technological strategies such as information interoperability or standardization. They hope that the SNIS will contribute to reducing the gap in access to health.
