BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING: COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING

COURSE MODULE COURSE UNIT WEEK

CM3 CU4 16

New Technologies Related to Public Health Electronic Information

ü Read course and unit objectives

ü Read study guide prior to class attendance
ü Read required learning resources; refer to unit terminologies for jargons
ü Proactively participate in classroom discussions
ü Participate in weekly discussion board (Canvas) Answer and submit course unit
tasks
At the end of this unit, the students are expected to:
Cognitive:
1. Determine eHealth, digital health and information and communications technology for
health
2. Describe the national eHealth vision and its components.
3. Enumerate the importance of eHealth in the community.

Affective:
1. Listen attentively during discussion.
2. Demonstrate tact and respect when challenging other people’s opinions and ideas.

Psychomotor:
1. Take part in discussion and group activities.
2. Apply health evaluation appropriate for health care needs of the patient.

Nursing Care of the Community “A comprehensive text on community and public health
nursing in the Philippines” 1st Edition Zenaida Famorca
Nursing Practice in the Community 4th Edition Araceli Maglaya
Public Health Nursing in the Philippines 10th Edition National League of Philippine
Government Nurses

Introduction

The Department of Health (DOH) is mandated to be the over-all technical authority on

health that provides national policy direction and develop national plans, technical
standards and guidelines on health. It is also a regulator of all health services and products,
and provider of special or tertiary health care services and of technical assistance to other
health providers especially to local government units. The implementation of Kalusugan
Pangkalahatan or Universal Health Care is directed towards ensuring the achievement of
the health system goals of better health outcomes, sustained health financing and
responsive health system.

The World Health Organization defines eHealth as the use of information and
communication technologies for health. It supports the delivery of health services and
management of health systems to become more efficient and effective. eHealth is
described also as a means to ensure that “the right health information is provided to the
right person at the right place and time in a secure, electronic form to optimize the quality
and efficiency of health care delivery, research, education and knowledge. The application
of information and communication technologies in health has rapidly increased for the past
years and gained significance not only in the Department of Health but in the entire health
sector. The DOH has continuously addressed the challenges and demands to further
improve health care service deliveries and outcomes. Many countries have recognized the
importance of adopting information and communication technology in health, also called
as eHealth, to optimize processes and improve data collection, processing and analysis.
The adoption of ICT has provided concrete foundation for health investments and
innovations. Countries have formulated their own eHealth agenda to establish direction
and plan the necessary steps to achieve their intended vision, mission, and goals.

The National Objectives for Health, 2005-2010 and the 2011-2016 prioritized the use of
ICT in various reforms areas, critical health programs, and specific areas in health
administration. In 2005 and 2013, the Philippines was signatory to the 58thand 66thWorld
Health Assembly Resolution. The 58th World Health Assembly advocated the following:
o Draw up a long-term strategic plan for developing and implementing eHealth services in
the various areas of health sectors including health administration which includes an
appropriate legal framework and infrastructure and encourage public and private
partnership;
o Develop the infrastructure for ICTs for health as deemed appropriate to promote
equitable, affordable and universal access;
o Build on closer collaboration with private and non-profit sectors in ICTs;
o Reach communities, including vulnerable groups, with eHealth services appropriate to
their needs;
o Mobilize multi-sectoral collaboration for determining evidence-based eHealth standards
and norms and to share the knowledge of cost-effective models, thus ensuring quality,
safety and ethical standards and respect for the principles of confidentiality of information,
privacy, equity and equality;
o Establish national centers and networks of excellence for eHealth best practice, policy
coordination, and technical support for health-care delivery, service improvement,
information to citizens, capacity building, and surveillance; and
o Establish and implement national electronic public-health information systems and to
improve, by means of information, the capacity for surveillance of, and rapid response to,
disease and public-health emergencies.

eHealth in the Philippines

developing software for Field Health Services and Information System, and has
continuously developed or built other application or information systems. The use of ICTs
in the DOH has remarkably supported and improved some of the functions of the
Department. ICTs have been used in the areas of innovative technological changes,
networking and infrastructure, office automation, development and implementation of
computer-based systems. From the limited resources in terms of ICT personnel and funds,
the DOH Management has augmented the budget on ICT to fully accomplish and support
the ICT strategic goals and direction.

Existing information systems and data sources are being integrated or harmonized to
eventually address other challenges like establishment of the DOH data warehouse,
quality database and establishment of a more responsive information system and access
to and sharing of knowledge products. For remote and underserved areas and vulnerable
populations, the DOH has implemented telemedicine in selected pilot areas through the
National Telehealth Center, National Institute for Health, University of the Philippines,
Manila. The DOH has also developed and implemented mobile technology solutions in
reporting cases through the Health Emergency Management Staff’s - Surveillance in Post
Extreme Emergencies and Disasters (SPEED) with support from WHO. There are several
mobile technology applications developed and for implementation, e.g. Text TB for
reporting inventory of tuberculosis drugs, maternal and neonatal death reporting, and
routine health data reporting.

eHealth Vision

By 2020 eHealth will enable widespread access to health care services, health information,
and securely share and exchange patients’ information in support to a safer, quality health
care, more equitable and responsive health system for all the Filipino people by
transforming the way information is used to plan, manage, deliver and monitor health
services.

The strategic vision describes the Philippines Health System that has been enabled by
eHealth. It shows how eHealth will be used to address health system’s priority goals and
challenges to deliver health outcomes. The Aquino Health Agenda on achieving Universal
Health Care or Kalusugan Pangkahalatan for all Filipinos is a continuing commitment to
health sector reform and achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The National
Objectives for Health 2011-2016 has set the health program goals, strategies, performance
indicators and targets towards achieving KP. The overall goal is to achieve health system
goals of financial risk protection, better health outcomes, and responsive health system for
the Filipino people.

eHealth has proven to provide improvements in health care delivery and is at the core of
responsive health system. eHealth will improve the quality and safety of the health system
through empowerment of health consumers to better manage their health records;
availability of information like single view of the patients’ information at the point of care,
decision support tools and knowledge-based information thereby reducing medical errors,
improved treatment and monitoring; and availability of information for efficient and effective
surveillance and monitoring of diseases and management of health

eHealth will also support a more equitable health system through presence of information
about the availability, location, expertise and services of health care providers. This will
provide health consumers with ready information for reference purpose and health care
providers for referral process. Electronic consultations in rural, remote and disadvantaged
areas can be made accessible or available.

eHealth will provide a more responsive health system because information can be securely
shared and exchanged without repeating effort and time in providing the same information
to different health care providers; use of eHealth solutions to speed up processes like
ordering system and results reporting; reduced time and cost of health consumers
undergoing unnecessary or duplicated diagnostic tests; improved diagnosis and treatment
activities; reduced travel time using telehealth services; and efficient and effective disease
monitoring and response.

Key Strategic Guiding Principles

Key strategic guiding principles in the development of Philippines eHealth Strategic

Framework and Plan are as follows:
1. eHealth must serve the needs of the client or person.
2. Collaboration and partnerships with key health care stakeholders are critical in realizing
the country’s eHealth vision.
3. Users’ must be involved at all phases of development and implementation to gain
commitment for implementation.
4. A strategic approach in terms of phases enables more focus, and judiciously and
efficiently make use of resources to achieve the eHealth vision.
5. eHealth activities must be aligned or harmonized, without controlling health care
providers to implement local eHealth solutions.
6. The presence of entities that have already started eHealth must be recognized so as
not to constraint their continuing advancement and gain their support.
7. Human resource can be made available by building capability to implement the eHealth
agenda in the country and promote transparency and public accountability.
8. Implementation of eHealth must comply to relevant laws and regulations.
9. Investments must be made on areas that deliver the greatest benefits to health
consumers, health care providers, and healthcare managers; and ensure no duplication in
terms of time, effort and resources.

eHealth Components

The components are the building blocks to achieve the stated vision. There were initial
identified components to realize the outcomes of eHealth in the Philippines, i.e. enabling
structures and resources, mission-critical health application systems, Philippine Health
Information System, Knowledge Management for Health, and telemedicine/mHealth
services. The groupings are more information or application systems based and were
reviewed together with the National eHealth Strategy Toolkit. Updated components are
governance, strategy and investment, eHealth solutions (services and applications),
standards and interoperability, infrastructure, legislation/policy and compliance, and
human resource.

Description
Components
1 Governance Directs and coordinates
eHealth activities at all
levels like hospitals and
health care providers.
Critical areas of governance
are management of the
eHealth agenda,
stakeholders’ engagement,
strategic architecture,
 clinical safety, management
and operation, monitoring
and evaluation, and policy
oversight.
2 Legislation, Policy and Compliance Formulation of the
required legislations,
policies and compliance
to support the
attainment of the
eHealth vision.
Examples of these are
the national legislations,
policies, and
regulations on how
health information are
stored, accessed and
shared across
geographical and health
sector boundaries;
implementation of
unique health identifier;
implementation of
national health data
standards; and software
certification or
accreditation
3 Standards and Interoperability Promotes and enables
exchange of health
information across
geographical and health
sector boundaries
through use of common
standards on data
structure,
terminologies, and
messaging. One
strategy to ensure
compliance to health
data standards for
interoperability is the
implementation of
software certification or
accreditation where
eHealth solutions must
comply in order to be
certified as able to
exchange health
information.
4 Strategy and Investment Develops,
operates and
sustains the
national
eHealth vision.
These
components
support the
development of
a strategy and
plans to serve
as guide in the
implementation
of the eHealth
agenda.
Investment
refers to the
funding or
amount
needed for
executing the
strategies and
plans.
5 Infrastructure Establishes and
supports health
information exchange,
i.e. the sharing of health
information across
geographical and health
sector boundaries, and
implementation of
innovative ways to
deliver health services
and information.
Infrastructure includes
physical technology and
software platforms,
services and
applications to support
health information
exchange. Examples of
these are high-speed
data connectivity and
computing
infrastructure, like
computers and mobile
devices for the
collection, recording
 and exchange of
electronic information,
among others.
6 Human Resource Workforce or manpower
to develop, operate or
implement the national
eHealth environment
such as the health
workers who will be
using eHealth in their
line of works, health
care providers,
information and
communication
technology workers,
and others.
7 eHealth Solutions Required services and
applications to enable
widespread access to
health care services,
health information,
health reports, health
care activities, and
securely share and
exchange patient’s
information in support to
health system goals.
These address the
needs of the various
stakeholders like
individuals, health care
providers, managers,
officials, and others.
Examples of eHealth
solutions are electronic
health/medical/personal
records, electronic
referrals, medications
management, distance
learning and electronic
resources,
telemedicine, mobile
health, adverse event
monitoring, disease
surveillance, among
others.

HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN PUBLIC HEALTH

SYSTEM/ DEVELOPER KEY INFORMATION
BizBox A set of web-based for various health care
institutions such as hospitals and rural
health units.
Community Health Information Tracking One of the pioneering EMR developed in
System (CHITS) 2004 by the University of the Philippines -
Manila.
The relevant customized forms based on
DOH and Philhealth programs in CHITS
were organized into modules for easier
workflow integration.
eHealth TABLET for Informed Decision Key product features of eHatid: EMR
Making of LGU’s (eHatid) software application for mobile android
devices, dashboard, and a Mayor-Doctor
Communication as a channel for decision
making and sharing of health-related
information.
Event-based Surveillance and Response An online health event surveillance
System (ESR) reporting system. It involves reporting all
health events (existing or rare) that raise
concern, fear, alarm in the community
which may have known, suspected or
possible impact on human health.
Integrated Clinic Information System As an integrated system, it is linked to other
(iClinicSys) DOH home grown systems such as the
Maternal and Neonatal Death Reporting,
Tuberculosis Information System, Injury
Reporting and Chronic Non-
Communicable Disease Reporting.
Integrated Hospital Operations and It has modules for the following areas in the
Management Information System (iHomis) hospital: admitting, outpatient, emergency
room, billing and cashier, nursing,
pharmacy, dietary, laboratory and
radiology.
Integrated Tuberculosis Information It has a case management module that
System (IT IS) captures patient’s demographic profile, TB
examination record and treatment
information.
Mag-Ina (Maternal and Neonatal A web-based maternal and neonatal
Telereferral System (MInTS) telereferral system. It enables lying-in
clinics to electronically send referrals
requests when pregnant mothers and
newborns need to be transferred to a
higher care facility.
National Rabies Information System It allows animal bite treatment center to
capture bite patient records and generate
reports for submission to program
managers at all levels of the health system.
 Philhealth eClaims System A web-based facility developed by
Philhealth for claim reimbursement
transactions
Philippine Integrated Disease Surveillance Indicator reporting based system of priority
and Response (PIDSR) System diseases or syndromes and conditions
such as Acute Viral Hepatitis, Dengue,
Cholera, Malaria, Measles and Acute
Encephalitis among others.
Secured Health Information Network It also has referral features and an SMS
Exchange (SHINE) reminder facility for scheduled visits/
appointments
SegWorks Integrated Health Management A suite hospital and community electronic
System (SegIHMS) health information system
Wireless Access for Health EMR (WAH The current WAH group expanded the
EMT) CHITS with new modules such as the
Synchronized Patients Alerts via SMS,
Mobile Midwife and the statistics
aggregator.

Website: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3748548/
Website: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15682160/
Website: https://www.americanmobile.com/nursezone/nursing-news/compassionate-
nurse-the-importance-of-compassion-in-nursing/
https://www.doh.gov.ph

Digital Health– also known as the Information and Communication technology (ICT) in
health system, is the field of theory and practice associated with any aspect of adopting
digital technologies to improve health from its conceptualization to application or operation.
eHealth – the cost-effective and secure use of information and communications
technologies in support of health and health-related field, including health care
services, health surveillance, health literature, and health education, knowledge and
research.
Electronic Medical Records (EMR) – automated systems based on document imaging
or systems which have been developed within a medical practice or community health
center

UNIT QUIZ

Books

Nursing Care of the Community “A comprehensive text on community and public health
nursing in the Philippines” 1st Edition Zenaida Famorca
Nursing Practice in the Community 4th Edition Araceli Maglaya
Public Health Nursing in the Philippines 10th Edition National League of Philippine
Government Nurses

Websites

EBSCOhost.com