Updated: Dec 6, 96
PORTUGAL

Portugal is currently reorganising its IT management and planning arrangements at national level, following the change of Government at the October 1995 election.

The Institute of Informatics and Financial Management of the Ministry of Health has responsibility for nation-wide management of technical resources. Its activities cover the legal responsibilities, such as to

• promote and co-ordinate conception and development of information systems
• assure the management and the access to national databases of interest to health administration
• promote the adoption of measures in order to standardise rules and procedures in respect to the utilisation of information technologies
• provide consulting services, audit services and technical support
• assure the management and security of health information networks as well as both the regional and national databases
• promote and co-ordinate the research and development activities in the advanced domains of health information.

The policy adopted favours distributed planning and implementation of computerisation, emphasising the use of open systems with the development of UNIX. Several information systems have been developed such as hospital information system (SONHO), human resources management systems (GERHA), health centre management systems (SINUS), a distributed accounting information system, a drug information system, pathology and X-ray information system, minimum basic medical and administrative data sets in mental health care, blood donor management system.

In the telematics field an operational plan was launched in order to create a private network for the Health ministry. This plan had the responsibility for assisting in financing telematics projects. Also, in the field of telemedicine, major efforts are being directed towards networking between hospitals and health centres in the Central region of Portugal, with the aim of providing the necessary conditions for the widespread use of electronic data. The most recent project in this area - Health Information Network of the Central Region (RISC) - is a project whose main goal is to provide each institution with tools for remote access of images and at the same time provide administrative and clinical information management.

The RISC project comprises three essential components which are improvements on clinical and administrative procedures, use of telemedicine for remote patient observation by the doctor and, finally, integration of other subsidiary services such as laboratories, pharmacies, health centres, social services.

The three-phase project started in May 1995. The first phase involves 2 central hospitals, 2 district hospitals, and 4 health centres. The second will introduce a distributed database with clinical and administrative data, and in the third phase regional health information network will be implemented. This will be based on an open systems structure which will allow future development of telematic services in the health area and at the regional level for all the institutions which are partners in the pilot project. It is intended to progressively add new functions, and add a further two central hospitals, 3 district hospitals, and 6 health centres.

The project aims to lay the foundations of vertical telemedicine applications, contributing to gaining experience in this field, an important future use of the information highway.

The plan of activities for 1996 includes two major goals: the first related to IGIF's activities as the Health Ministry Information Service co-ordinator which will:

• enforce the link between IGIF and end users, creating a user committee to follow up future national developments
• implement the Health Information network and set up support arrangements
• promote standardisation in the Health Information Technology domain;
• encourage both System Information Planning and quality management in Health Institutions and IGIF itself.

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