Presentation
This is a Graduate Program in Health Informatics – Professional Master’s Degree – at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), created in 2016, with the following importance in the context of Health:
Conceptual Vision:
In the Graduate Program in Health Informatics at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), we recognize the central importance of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in transforming and improving healthcare systems. Based on the definitions from the World Health Organization (WHO), we use the terms ICT and eHealth interchangeably, as eHealth is defined as the use of ICT in healthcare.
In its broadest sense, eHealth — or digital health — focuses on improving the flow of information electronically to support healthcare delivery and efficient management of health systems. ICT provides significant benefits not only to achieve better health outcomes but also to transparently demonstrate what has been achieved and the costs involved in these processes (WHO, 2010a; 2012).
Digital health encompasses a variety of areas and technologies that are revolutionizing how healthcare is practiced and managed. Among them, the following stand out:
- Telemedicine and Telehealth: Facilitate access to healthcare in remote or resource-limited areas, enabling consultations and diagnoses from a distance, reducing geographical barriers, and increasing inclusion.
- Electronic Health Record (EHR): Optimizes the storage and access to patient health information, promoting more integrated and personalized care, while reducing medical errors.
- Mobile Health Apps (mHealth): Allow individuals to monitor their health in real-time, encouraging prevention and self-care, and facilitating communication between patients and healthcare professionals.
- Big Data and Health Data Analytics: Collecting and analyzing large volumes of data provides deep insights into health trends, aiding strategic decision-making and the formulation of effective public policies.
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: These technologies are being applied to more accurate diagnoses, predicting epidemiological outbreaks, and personalizing treatments, increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare services.
In the context of our program, we emphasize interdisciplinary training that integrates knowledge of healthcare and information technology. Our students are trained to develop innovative solutions that meet the current and future needs of the healthcare system, promoting digital transformation in healthcare.
We believe that digital health is a powerful tool to:
- Improve Quality of Care: Providing safer, more efficient, and patient-centered care.
- Increase Operational Efficiency: Optimizing processes and resources, reducing costs and waste.
- Promote Sustainability of Health Systems: Facilitating management and decision-making based on evidence.
- Expand Access to Healthcare Services: Breaking down geographical and socioeconomic barriers, ensuring more people receive the care they need.
The Graduate Program in Health Informatics at UFSC is committed to training highly qualified professionals to lead this evolution. Our students actively participate in research projects that address real challenges, contributing to innovation and the continuous improvement of healthcare services at local, national, and global levels.
By integrating ICT into healthcare, we are not just adopting new technological tools but also promoting a cultural shift that places the patient at the center of care, values information as a strategic resource, and fosters collaboration across different areas of knowledge.
The Context
- The lack of standardization in procedures for obtaining and processing health data; the heterogeneity of its periodicity; the difficulty of healthcare services’ connectivity to broadband internet; the insufficiency of financing strategies in the field of health information and informatics; the relative deficiency in professional qualification in this area; and the importance of aligning Brazil with international actions and strategies in the field of health information and communication technologies led the Federal Executive to formulate a policy capable of addressing these operational gaps in the management of the Unified Health System (SUS) (BRAZIL, 2012).
- The use of interoperable Brazilian systems and resources such as the National Health Registry (RES) and the National Health Card, as well as communication tools like Telehealth, the Health with More Transparency Portal, and the Strategic Management Support Room (SAGE) of the Ministry of Health, are alternatives for the development and implementation of public policies consistent with the realization of constitutional and legal health principles (BRAZIL, 2012).
- It is envisioned in the national scenario that eHealth Systems and Services will operate independently and in a decentralized manner, yet coordinated and integrated. In other words, in the strategic scenario, eHealth Services and Systems interoperate with each other and with external systems, even if they use different technologies and are in distinct government spheres or the private sector (BRAZIL, 2012).
- The National Health Information and Informatics Policy (2012) highlights that health information serves as a resource for SUS users and professionals, as well as supporting management, surveillance, and healthcare processes (BRAZIL, 2012). Regarding users, health information systems aim to help public authorities and managers increase access to information for users in an efficient and appropriate way. Thus, IT resources should facilitate access to healthcare services by streamlining and humanizing appointment scheduling and health demand handling, promoting the use of health information initiated by the user, surpassing the traditional use of information solely for administrative purposes (BRAZIL, 2012).
For healthcare professionals, health informatics aims to support professional practice, facilitating and organizing routine records, enabling consultations and reports based on produced information, and streamlining appointment scheduling, referrals, and counter-referrals, which are among the most important potential uses of information and health informatics. Resources such as electronic health records, clinical and programmatic protocols, alerts, notifications, decision-support systems, and assisted teleconsultations (Telehealth) enhance the work of healthcare professionals, streamline management by facilitating financial and administrative oversight of public health policies, consequently benefiting SUS users (BRAZIL, 2012).
In this regard, since 2020, eHealth has been part of SUS, recognized as an instrument for consistent improvement of healthcare services by providing and utilizing comprehensive, accurate, and secure information to expedite and enhance the quality of healthcare processes at all three levels of government and in the private sector, benefiting citizens, professionals, managers, and healthcare organizations (BRAZIL, 2013).
This vision of eHealth for Brazil aims to allow the federal government, states, municipalities, public and private healthcare organizations, developers, and information system providers, as well as health IT service providers, to align their efforts to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of designing, developing, acquiring, and implementing health information systems, including devices, models, and processes.
Furthermore, among the Ministry of Health’s projects, eSUS for primary care is an information management process that supports professionals and managers in activities like identifying, acquiring, organizing, and storing information, shaping products and services, distributing, and using information properly, regardless of its format or medium (whether physical or digital documents). Its goal is to ensure that information reaches those who need it for decision-making at the right time (VALENTIM, 2010).
The new National Primary Care Policy (PNAB), instituted in October 2011 with the publication of Ordinance No. 2,488, on October 21, 2011, will influence information management in Primary Care, either by improving infrastructure and work processes or by demanding tools and information systems. The changes in primary care information management arising from the implementation of PNAB in municipalities need to be understood and managed to create the necessary conditions for the evolution of primary care (BRAZIL, 2013).
The course being presented is a new program that adheres to the principles of the National Policy on Health Information and Informatics, the National Primary Care Policy (PNAB), and is supported by a decision-making process consistent with the real needs of the population. The professors involved in the program have specific training and a recognized history in this area, developing products, processes, and methods involving ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) in healthcare.
It is also of great importance as it is committed to training health professionals and managers so they can understand ICT, comprehend the necessary components for effective use, and recognize the benefits eHealth can bring to patient safety and professional practice, with space for healthcare professionals to actively participate in the implementation of eHealth in Brazil. They will be able to develop projects and products and have initiatives that align with the strategic goals of eHealth, reducing fragmentation and improving the integration of healthcare services.
