The new federal program considers improving the health system in Argentina by betting on digital transformation and the use of new technologies.
Impulsa is the new program of the Ministry of Health of Argentina, which seeks through the promotion and use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), improve the quality of health services and achieve equitable access throughout the country.
Among its purposes, Impulsa seeks to “reduce technological gaps between jurisdictions, improve the management of health services, optimize processes and competencies, empower the population in access to information and integrate public and private health subsystems”.
Santiago Cafiero, Minister of Health of the Nation, explained during the launch conference that the new program is linked to various actions previously carried out in the change and renovation of technological infrastructure. “Complementing the program, expanding the connectivity network is critical. Let's think we launched the CONNECT program 2 months ago, which has 32,000 kilometers of fiber optics and we are expanding 4,000 kilometers more. Narrowing distances depends on having this fiber optic network.”
In the same sense, the official explained the importance of collaboration between provincial and national governments, for the success of the project. “It's very important what we're throwing here. Let the different public systems dialogue between the provinces, with the national government and also with private systems, and with that generate a large cloud of accessibility to all data, medical records, digital prescriptions, everything that is implemented from this program”.
Another of the strategies implemented through Impulsa, is the Digital Medical History, which will be applied in 4 thousand health centers which also considers connectivity for all these establishments, in addition to 10 thousand computer equipment. This strategy is part of the 2020-2023 plan that includes a 5 billion pesos investment in software hardware, technical assistance, training, connectivity and transfers of funds to provinces.
On the other hand, telemedicine also takes an important part of the national plan, as it seeks to promote such services for the population that does not have social work, through remote consultations with specialists. New connectivity tools in hospitals will allow interconsultation with specialists in any province.
In addition, thanks to connectivity, specialists will be able to access patients' digital medical history and perform digital prescriptions. The digitization of health services also considers administrative processes, which speeds up the way appointments are scheduled.
