An expert said on Tuesday that the lack of coordination among health information systems in the Philippines is creating an obstacle to universal health access (UHC).
“They have to talk to each other so that the data can flow with the patient, that’s what we want,” said Veincent Christian F. Pepito, assistant professor and researcher at the Ateneo de Manila University School of Medicine and Public Health (ASMPH) Center for Research and Innovation, in the forum.
“Our health information system needs to be able to communicate,” he added.
In his presentation at the forum, the public sector respondent mentioned concerns about gaps in the government’s health sector system.
“He has E-konsulta for consultation and primary care, and he has HOMIS (Hospital Operation Management and Information System) for the hospital,” the defendant wrote. “Because this is not practical, we do not have access to the primary care records of patients when they are referred to us.”
According to Mr. Pepito, the interoperability of health information systems across hospitals is a “relevant” element in the UHC framework.
“If you go to PGH (Philippine General Hospital) or other higher education hospitals, you still have to take the records again, you still have to take all the patients’ history again,” he said. “In short, the information does not travel with the patient.”
However, he noted that cybersecurity and data privacy are essential to implementing a harmonized health information system across the country.
“Many are still hesitant because they may pollute data privacy,” he said in Filipino. “Data privacy lawyers and the DICT can step in to clarify these issues.”
“The use of encryption, or having multiple backup servers so that one component does not interfere with implementation or compromise data security,” he added.
The Universal Health Care Act, or Republic Act No. 11223, enacted in 2019, mandates that all Filipino citizens be automatically enrolled in the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) National Health Insurance Program.
In the 2026 budget of 2026, P448.125 billion was allocated to the health department to support the promotion of UHC, which includes P1 billion of the budget for the Zero Balance Billing (ZBB) Program in local government hospitals. – Almira Louise S. Martinez
