The Dominican Republic’s health system is ready for digitalisation
2 minutes read
- Rather than standalone systems, an interoperability language needs to be adopted and work needs to start on implementing digital systems for healthcare.
Santo Domingo, May 2022. – Fedor Vidal, an international expert in health technology and business and CEO of Arium Salud Digital, said the country is ready to embrace digitalisation in the health sector.
Healthcare is no stranger to technology; the pandemic pushed many countries to adopt elements such as telemedicine, remote care and diagnosis, and other features that are shifting the paradigm of how healthcare is delivered, he said.
He added that some services and centres in the country have already been digitalising.
“We are working on implementing different systems. For example, the Diabetes, Obesity and Specialties Medical Centre (CEMDOE), is fully digitalised,” he added.
Regarding the public sector and digitalisation, Vidal explained that the country has a great advantage.
“We have an advantage in the Dominican Republic: thanks to internet coverage and connectivity, the country is ready for a transformation,” said Vidal, who has more than 20 years of experience designing, implementing and leading technology infrastructure, business and operations for multiple global companies.
He discussed the topic during an interview on the programme Despierta RD, broadcast on Telecentro, channel 13.
Pharmacies
Are pharmacies ready? Yes, services at the large pharmacy chains are digitalised. “What’s missing is an interoperability language and connecting all sectors,” he said.
Value and cost
On the costs to the State of adopting this system, Vidal said that rather than a cost, it is a contribution and value for the country.
“Rather than being expensive, the value lies in itself: quality, efficiency, interoperability. How much does it cost the country not to understand the number of diabetics overall? Or for a doctor to send a physical file? How much does it cost not to know the effectiveness of the medicines used in the country?” he asked.
On the work being done at Arium Salud Digital, Fedor Vidal highlighted that they have several cloud platforms with top-level technology, all with the quality and security needed for implementation. “We can handle anything from a complex clinic with 350 locations to an individual doctor or health insurer, basically to digitalise not just one sector but all players across the board,” he said.
Arium Salud Digital is a company belonging to the INTEGRA health ecosystem, dedicated to providing tools and services designed to make data more secure and simplify operations, helping organisations turn fragmented activities into integrated ecosystems.
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