A countrywide clinical informatics project in Uruguay.
FEMI is a federation of 23 private not-for-profit health care organizations across Uruguay. It covers approximately 700 thousand people (20 percent of the Uruguayan population) and owns a tertiary center in Montevideo. Pressure from ongoing national changes in health funding and regulation have pushed FEMI to develop a project, in order to improve efficiency in health care through the use of information and communications technologies. In particular, a federal electronic health record and a strategic management system are pursued. This project is supported by the Inter American Development Bank. The project has four lines of action: Specification, construction and implementation of the systems; Alignment through the use of standards; Cultural change through training and prototype systems; and Infrastructure. Short term results include a federal balanced scorecard, federal identification and authorization services, a terminology service, telemedicine applications and massive training of interdisciplinary teams at the local level. The importance of collaboration at the regional level and the advantages of having a multi-institutional commitment are stressed.
Margolis
Alvaro
A
Federación Médica del Interior, Montevideo, Uruguay. margolis@mednet.org.uy
Bessonart
Lino
L
Barbiel
Ana
A
Pazos
Pablo
P
Gil
Juan
J
Machado
Heber
H
Vero
Alvaro
A
D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D057286:Electronic Health Records / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006788:Hospitals, Voluntary / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008490:Medical Informatics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014583:Uruguay