title: A countrywide clinical informatics project in Uruguay.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Federación Médica del Interior, Montevideo, Uruguay. margolis@mednet.org.uy
authors.forename: Alvaro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Margolis
authors.forename: Lino
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bessonart
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barbiel
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pazos
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.forename: Heber
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: Alvaro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vero
mesh_terms: 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