BAGUIO CITY – The City Council confirmed a memorandum of agreement entered into between the local government and the Wireless Access for Health (WAH) Initiative, Inc., a multi-sectorial not-for-profit, non-government organization, for the implementation of the digitization of the records of patients in the various health centers and health facilities in the city.
The Department of Health (DOH) issued Administrative Order 2011-010 in July 2011 outlining the ‘implementing procedures and guidelines in reporting field health service data to the central office’ emphasizing among other things the need to shift from manual recording and reporting of health reports to the digital version and electronic reporting.
The DOH, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and the Department of Science and Technology, as lead implementing agencies to the Philippine E-health Strategic Framework and Plan 2014-2020, enjoined all local governments in the country to adopt and use a modern health information system for the interest of the health services office following the nationwide completion of the Philippine Health Information Exchange, a national database and repository of health information in the country where health facilities can exchange patients and health records.
PhilHealth issued Advisory 11.01-2015 and Circular 2016-2013 mandating electronic reporting for the processing of the per family payment for all primacy care benefit providers beginning January 2016 using authorized electronic medical recording system like the WAH digital platform.
Under the agreement, WAH shall provide technical assistance to the City Health Services Office that includes installation of the latest version software upon the signing of the agreement; provide training and technical support; if and when ready, the technical assistance to the office shall include the on-line support platform, the patient alert and reminder platform and the barangay-based offline patient and medical health recording system; its digital platform shall act as digital custodian of the electronic health and patient data encoded into the system; provides experienced trainers for system deployment and upgrades as well as regular site monitoring; provide guidelines and technical assistance in the creation and development of a pool of trainers and coaches for the facility level, including the setting up of a city monitoring and oversight teams to be populated by health personnel; facilitate negotiations with existing partners for provision of other support and assistance on digital health including, but not limited to, development and introduction of new features and modules and provide assistance in resolving issues affecting the system.
On the other hand, the local government shall support the roll out of the digital health platform in the city by creating and appointing a team to manage the activities related to the expansion of the project and assign the City Health Officer overall oversight authority in the expansion of the partnership; lead the creation of a training team that would help the digital team and partner clinics manage and oversee the adoption of the system; provide the needed logistics during the training for both the trainers, and if needed, for the trainees and provide for incidental expenses of the service providers; lead the monitoring of digital sites in the city; work with the service provider to ensure inclusion in the city strategic and work plans appropriate elements of the plans agreed with the service provider among others. By Dexter A. See
