Health information systems in Paraguay have been expanded in public medical centers throughout the country.
According to figures from the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare (MSPBS) of Paraguay, there are currently 110 health establishments that have implemented new health information system tools. Of this figure, 45 have been carried out during 2022.
This strategy seeks to digitize the health system at the national level, and improve the management of health centers. Recently, systems in maternal and pediatric health medical establishments, as well as district general hospitals, were upgraded.
The MSPBS explained in a statement that "The advancement of HIS (Health Information Systems) represents a great step for the efficient organization of human resources, integrated data management and the gradual construction of the long-awaited digital transformation that, without a doubt, will be the engine of change for the provision of quality care to citizens”.
Among the benefits of the digitalization of the health system at the national level, the ministry highlights that patients reduce their waiting times, receive longer consultation times, and facilitate their diagnosis by having information quickly available through the electronic medical record.
Regarding the benefits for health professionals, health information systems speed up care and, through an automated system, it flows better. Likewise, like patients, doctors have the opportunity to improve their diagnoses thanks to the availability of the patient's medical history.
Likewise, one of the great benefits is the better management of resources. For example, in the availability of medicines in pharmacies, by digitizing these processes, there is exact control of the pharmacy's stock so that medical prescriptions are not wasted.
In this way, the Paraguayan public health system advances in the standardization of workflow processes, improves productivity and service quality.
For this project called "Project to Improve Efficiency in Health Informatics Management", the National Government of Paraguay has the support of the Taiwanese government.